Harry Potter and the Boy Who Got Away
by DollhouseDancer
Summary: It's July 20th and Harry is stuck at the Dursley's house. Who should appear but Albus Dumbledore, bringing along the most unlikely companion. This story re-imagines events with one key difference- Draco Malfoy has made a decision that will affect not only his own life, but the lives of Harry and his friends as they join together in the fight against evil.
1. Unexpected Visitors

Harry Potter lay on his bed in number 4, Privet Drive feeling very cross. It was July the 20th and Sirius Black, the only man who had ever loved him like a father, was dead. He had been at the Dursley's for three weeks and had received almost no owls from any of his friends. To make matters worse the weather had been dismal all week, and as it was currently raining he was trapped inside with all three of the Dursleys, who had banished him to his room while they watched the telly.

Harry sighed and hauled himself to his feet. He shuffled towards his open school trunk. He might as well read the first chapter of _Hogwarts: A History_. At least it would make Hermione happy. He sifted through the robes, quills and parchment until he found the book. Straightening up, he tossed it on his bed. He wanted to get a snack first.

The first step creaked as Harry put his weight on it. He heard someone shift in their seat below. "That you boy?" Uncle Vernon's rough voice called out. "Don't you come bothering us in here."

"Just getting a snack," Harry mumbled back. He hurried down the rest of the stairs.

It was as Harry's foot touched the floor at the foot of the stairs that it happened: the doorbell rang. A chair scraped in the living room as Aunt Petunia muttered, "Who could that be on a day like this?" Harry heard her footsteps approaching as he turned the doorknob.

As Harry pulled the door open he nearly fell over from surprise. In front of him stood none other than Dumbledore, wearing a long purple robe and a black pointed hat. He could not have looked more out of place.

Harry heard a gasp from behind him as Aunt Petunia came around the corner.

"You!" The woman's voice quivered with shock and rage. "What are you doing here?"

"Ah," said Dumbledore, "You are always so straight to the point Petunia. As it seems unlikely that you shall invite us in, I am afraid that we will have to intrude. It does not seem prudent for us to remain out of doors while we speak about the matters at hand."

At the mention of the word 'we' Harry realized that there was someone standing behind Dumbledore. In fact, that someone seemed to be hiding behind the Headmaster, using his billowing robes as a sort of shield. As the wizard stepped into the narrow hallway the figure behind him came into view.

It was Draco Malfoy.

"What is he doing here?" Harry demanded.

"That, my boy, is one of the reasons that I have come to visit you on this rather soggy day," Dumbledore answered calmly. "Now, I believe it would be best for all of us if we could sit down. Perhaps in the living room?"

By this time Dudley and Uncle Vernon had come into the hallway as well. Between the Dursleys, Harry, Dumbledore and Malfoy, it was quickly becoming very crowded.

"What is the meaning of this? Bellowed Uncle Vernon, "I will not be having people like you invading my house!"

"Upstairs," Aunt Petunia ordered Dudley. Looking frightened, the large boy scurried up the stairs and around the corner. There was a distant bang as his door slammed shut.

Dumbledore pushed through the Dursleys and into the living room. "Petunia, Vernon, Harry, please come sit," he invited. "Draco, do you mind waiting in the hall for just a moment?"

Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia trailed behind the headmaster, rather peeved to be invited to sit in their own home. Harry cast a furious glance at Malfoy before following. He shut the door firmly behind him.

Inside the living room was a curious sight. Dumbledore appeared to have conjured a bottle of mead and several glasses out of thin air. He sipped contentedly from one glass. Across the room, two glasses hung in the air, repeatedly rapping the Dursleys on their heads as they resolutely refused to acknowledge their existence. A fourth glass floated towards Harry as he took a seat.

"Now," began Dumbledore, "Our first order of business is that of the will of Sirius Black."  
Uncle Vernon started in his seat. "His godfather is dead?" Harry shot his uncle a dirty look.

"In his will Sirius specified that all of his belongings should go to you, Harry. This means, of course, that you add a sizable amount of gold to your vault at Gringott's-" At the mention of gold Uncle Vernon let out a small gasp. Knowing their proclivity for greed, Harry had never told his aunt and uncle about the small fortune left to him by his parents. Dumbledore continued. "Also, the hippogriff Buckbeak now belongs to you. He is currently residing at Hogwarts with Hagrid, under the name of Witherwings. If you wish he can be moved from there."

"No," said Harry, "He should stay there. I'm sure Hagrid is happy to see him again."

A smile spread across Dumbledore's face. "He is indeed. Well, that brings us to the house. In his will Sirius left number 12 Grimmauld Place to you. However, there may be a slight snag with this area of the inheritance. You see, the house has been in the Black family for many generations, passing from father to eldest son. As Sirius was the last male descendant of the Black family, it should belong to whomever he bequeathed it to. However, there is a slight chance that, due to old enchantments, it could have passed instead to the closest remaining relative of the Black family, in this case, Bellatrix Lestrange. If so it would be incredibly dangerous for you to return there. Thankfully, there is an easy test as to the house's true ownership."

Harry looked at Dumbledore and took another sip of his mead. It was warm and sweet. "What is it?" He asked the elder wizard.

"If the ownership of the house has indeed passed to you, then so has the house-elf known as Kreacher. I propose that you test your ownership by calling upon him. If he fails to appear, then we shall know that the house has indeed failed to pass into your possession."  
Harry nodded his head. "What do I do?" He asked. "Just call out, 'Kreacher'?"

There was a loud pop as the small, filthy figure appeared in the center of the room. He glowered at Harry, muttering under his breath.

"Yes," said Dumbledore, "Then that settles it. Number 12 Grimmauld Place, as well as all of its contents, have passed to you, Harry. Might I suggest that you send Kreacher to work in the kitchens at Hogwarts?"

Harry nodded his head. "Kreacher," he said, "You will go and work in the kitchens at Hogwarts, until I tell you otherwise."

With a last filthy glare and a loud pop, Kreacher disappeared.

"Now, let us tend to the other matter at hand," Dumbledore continued. He stood and crossed the room where he opened the door and ushered Malfoy inside. Another glass of mead appeared and floated towards the pale boy.

"This young man is Draco Malfoy," Dumbledore began. "Draco, this is Vernon and Petunia Dursley. You saw their son, Dudley, when you came in, and of course you know Harry." Harry glared at Malfoy.

Dumbledore continued, seemingly unaware of the mounting tension in the room. "Unfortunately, circumstances have arisen that make it unsafe for Draco to remain at his home. Because of the heavy enchantments placed upon this house, this is the safest place for him to stay at the moment. He will be remaining here for several weeks, or possibly until the start of the school term."

"No he bloody well won't!" shouted Harry. For once the Dursleys agreed with him, their shouts of indignance filling the small space.

"We won't have another one of your kind here!" roared Uncle Vernon, "Besides, we don't have space for you to drop another boy on us."

Dumbledore sipped his mead calmly in response to their complaints. As the shouts died down, he continued.

"Petunia, I am aware that you have a guest bedroom," he said. "I am afraid that I will have to insist that you allow this young man to stay in it for the time being. I can assure you that I will personally compensate you for any costs that you may incur due to his stay."

"But, Malfoy!" Harry protested. "He's vile! He's-" he cast his mind around, searching for an explanation the Dursleys could understand. "He's a racist! And his father is a Death Eater who tried to kill me!"

As Harry spoke he looked directly at Malfoy for the first time. He was even paler than usual, and his eyes were red and puffy. His face lacked the smug confidence that it usually displayed. As Harry spoke he seemed to sink into himself, gripping the glass of mead so tightly that the blood drained from his fingers. He did not protest.

Dumbledore's calm voice cut in. "That is all very true, Harry," he said. "But you must keep in mind that things can change, and that people are not always as they once were. It is important that Draco stay here for the time being, not for my sake or for yours, but for his own safety."

Uncle Vernon cut in. "Why can't the boy stay in his own home? What did he do to get himself kicked out?"

"It is not a matter of what he did, but what he refused to do," Dumbledore replied. "And he was not 'kicked out', as you put it, but rather taken away for his own safety, as I have been attempting to tell you."

Harry looked curiously at Malfoy. He was delicately sipping mead from his cup. From the corner of his eye Harry noticed Aunt Petunia watching as well. She seemed to find something acceptable in his demeanor. Her tone was significantly more gentle when she spoke.

"Is this really the only option to keep him safe?" she asked.

"I'm afraid that it is," Dumbledore replied. "I am well aware that this arrangement would not be the choice of anyone in this room. However, I hope that all of you can put aside your personal feelings, if only for a moment, to recognize that the safety of a young man is at stake. Years ago, when I asked you, Vernon and Petunia, to take Harry in and treat him as your own son you did so grudgingly. I am well aware that you have never treated him with love or kindness. Yet I am here again, asking you to afford another young man basic decency, so that he can have the opportunity to live freely and safely for at least a short time."

Aunt Petunia sighed in exasperation. "The boy can stay with us." She elbowed Uncle Vernon in the ribs as he opened his mouth to protest. "But for no longer than is absolutely necessary."

Dumbledore smiled broadly. "Then in that case I shall be going. There are many matters that I must attend to today." With a swish of his wand the mead and glasses disappeared. "I believe that Draco brought most of the things that he will need with him, though he left in quite a hurry. If there is anything that he needs please have Harry inform me, and I will gladly compensate you for your expenses. In a few weeks I will be returning to take the boys shopping for their school supplies; due to the current political climate it would be unwise for either of them to venture far into the wizarding world alone."

As the wizard strode towards the door Harry followed him. Dumbledore paused at the door and looked at the boy.

"Harry, if you could step outside with me for a moment," he said, "There is one more thing that I would like to discuss with you. It will be quite quick."

Harry nodded and stepped through the door. With relief he saw that the rain was clearing at last. "What is it, Professor?"

"Harry," Dumbledore began, "I have always been astounded at your capacity to show love. I know that you and Draco have fought for many years, and that there have been wrongdoings on both sides. But I ask that in the next weeks you make your best attempt to give him another chance. He has just been through a very difficult situation, and more than anything he needs a friend."

Harry looked unhappy with this request. "But sir, he's Draco Malfoy. I've given him chances, plenty of them, but he's never been anything but horrid! He calls Hermione a mudblood, and Ron a blood traitor, and-"

Dumbledore cut him off. "I understand that this is no easy thing I ask of you Harry. In fact, it may be the most difficult task I have ever given to you. But I ask only that you try. Can you promise me Harry, that you will at least attempt to be kind towards him?"  
Harry looked at the ground, unwilling to answer.

"Well," said Dumbledore, "I really must be off. I will see you in a few weeks Harry, and if all goes well I will be taking both of you to join the Weasley family."

As Dumbledore walked down the path Harry stepped back through the door. He was met with glares from Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia, as well as the strangely hollow gaze of Draco Malfoy.


	2. Dinner with the Dursleys

"Show your friend to the guest room," Aunt Petunia snapped. Her momentary softness was gone.

"He's not my friend," Harry muttered, pushing angrily past his aunt and uncle.

"And keep him away from Dudley," demanded Uncle Vernon, oblivious to what Harry had said. "Your lot keeps doing strange things to him."

Harry smirked as he led Malfoy up the stairs. Uncle Vernon was, of course, referring to the pig's tail Hagrid had given Dudley when they first met; an act that had planted a suspicion that was compounded years later when Fred and George Weasley had intentionally given him a candy that had grown his tongue to immeasurable lengths. For a moment he contemplated setting Malfoy, who had very few reservations when it came to using curses, loose on Dudley. But then he grimaced. Even Malfoy didn't deserve to be stuck with such a vile person.

At the top of the stairs Harry paused. "Your room's there,"" he pointed, " And that's the bathroom there." He turned to look at Malfoy again. When he spoke his voice was full of contempt for the blond. "Listen, I don't know what you're doing here, or what it is Dumbledore was being so cryptic about. But I don't like you, and I don't want to see you, or talk to you. Stay here if you have to, but leave me alone."

Draco nodded his head, his lips pursed. He pulled open the door to the guest room. As Harry opened his own door, a thought struck him.

"Malfoy," he asked, his voice much calmer than before, "Do you know how to turn on the lights?"

Draco turned back towards Harry and shook his head. Sighing, Harry walked over and reached through the door.

"You see this? It's a switch. They're in every room, usually near doors. If you move it like this," he demonstrated, "the lights come on in the room. Make sure you turn them off before you leave the room though, or Uncle Vernon will yell at you."

Malfoy nodded his head. "Thanks," he said. Harry turned to go back to his room, a little surprised to be thanked. As he reached for the handle, he heard Malfoy's voice again.

"Potter, could I use the shower?" His voice was flat and nervous, with no trace of the sneering tone that Harry had come to know at Hogwarts.

Harry sighed again. "Of course Malfoy. Follow me, I'll show you how to use everything.'

Harry angrily paced back and forth in his room. Malfoy, living with the Dursleys? What was Dumbledore thinking? He itched to send a letter to Ron and Hermione, but it would have to wait until Hedwig was back from hunting.

"Boys!" called Aunt Petunia's voice from downstairs, "Supper!"

Harry smirked. Supper with the Dursleys and Malfoy? This was sure to be interesting. He looked towards the guest room as he stepped into the hall. The door was open and the tall boy was staring out, unsure if he was invited. Harry nodded once and gestured him forward gruffly.

In the kitchen Harry took his regular seat, displeased to see that the extra spot for Malfoy was set directly next to him. The boy hesitated for a moment before sitting down.

"Draco, was it?" Uncle Vernon asked, chewing on a piece of chicken. "Odd name. Where's your family from?"

"Wiltshire," Malfoy answered in a flat tone. He picked up his knife and began cutting delicately at his food.

"Wiltshire," mused Uncle Vernon. "A country boy then? How did you end up mixed up with this lot?"

Harry saw Malfoy stiffen beside him. He was staring into his plate as if he might melt a hole all the way through it.

"He was born to a wizarding family," Harry cut in, sensing the other boy's distress. "A really old and well-known one."

Uncle Vernon grunted into his plate. "Old and well-known? Then what's he doing with us?"

Harry shrugged in response. He had no idea what Malfoy was doing hiding out with them. All he knew was that he didn't trust him.

Aunt Petunia decided to try a different approach. "Where are your mother and father?" she asked.

Malfoy stiffened again. "My mother is at home," he replied icily.

"And your father?" Harry cringed at Dudley's inability to read expressions.

Malfoy looked up from his food and fixed his piercing gray eyes on the large boy. "Potter put him in Azkaban prison a few weeks ago."

Aunt Petunia gasped. Uncle Vernon pushed his chair backwards and Dudley, having had firsthand experience with the dementors of Azkaban the summer before, slid right off of his. All of the Dursleys fixed their eyes on Harry.

"Like I said, his father tried to kill me," Harry answered the unspoken question. "The same night his aunt succeeded in killing my godfather. Unfortunately she got away."

Aunt Petunia made a strangled noise in her throat and turned back to her food. Uncle Vernon wisely decided to drop his attempts at small talk. Dudley was not so perceptive.

"Where is she now?" He gasped. "And why are you friends with him if half his family's trying to kill you?"

Malfoy pushed back his chair and stood up. Averting his eyes from the table he walked out of the kitchen and up the stairs.

Harry sighed. "Actually, his whole family is trying to kill me. And last time I saw him, he would have taken any chance he could get too." He pushed back his chair. "I'm going to bed."

The next day passed quietly. Malfoy was, at least, making good on his agreement to stay out of Harry's way. He left the guest room briefly for breakfast and dinner, where he ate quickly and silently. Hedwig had not returned from her hunting trip, forcing Harry to delay sending a message to Ron about the present situation.

Harry was woken early the next morning by a tapping. He leapt out of bed eagerly and threw open his window. Hedwig flew in, a mouse clutched in her beak. She hooted appreciatively as Harry ruffled her feathers.

"Eat quickly," Harry told her, "I need you to take a message to Ron."  
Hedwig hooted indignantly and settled down to eat her mouse. Harry rifled through his bag to find a quill and a piece of parchment. He scribbled a quick note to Ron, rolled it up and tied it onto the owl's leg.

"Make sure he sends me a reply," he instructed the still-eating Hedwig. "And then hurry back. I need to send a message to Hermione too."

Hedwig flew off, the last bite of her mouse in her beak. Harry sighed and sat down on his bed. He glanced at the alarm clock that he had fixed years before. 7:30. He still had some time before Aunt Petunia was yelling at him from the kitchen. He swung his legs back under the covers and closed his eyes. But before he could fall asleep, he heard muffled sounds coming from the room next door. He heard a gasp and then- was that a sob? He opened his door and stepped into the hall.

The sounds were definitely coming from Malfoy's room. Curious, Harry bent down and put his eye to the keyhole. He blinked in astonishment at what he saw. Draco Malfoy was crying; really crying, with tears running down his face as he muffled his sobs in a pillow. He gulped and gasped, and then seemed to hold his breath as he sent the pillow flying across the room. A moment later he pulled the door open.

With a gasp Harry tumbled into the room. The look on Malfoy's face instantly changed to rage.

"Thought you'd spy on me, Potter?" he bellowed. Harry made frantic shushing motions. It wouldn't be good for either of them if their fight woke the Dursleys. Malfoy didn't stop. "I thought you wanted me to leave you alone. I guess I can't expect to have any privacy at all around you. Typical. Are you happy with what you saw?"

Harry pulled himself to his feet. "Malfoy," he muttered, "Not so loud. You don't want to wake the Dursleys."

"I don't bloody care about who I wake up, Potter!" With that, Malfoy launched himself at Harry, fists flying. Harry retaliated, getting in a good punch to the other boy's side before he heard Uncle Vernon's voice.

"What is the meaning of this?" bellowed Uncle Vernon. "I, out of the goodness of my heart, let you two ungrateful freaks stay here, and this is how you repay me? By fighting, by waking up my family, on a Sunday no less? Get out!"

Harry pulled himself away from Malfoy's grasp. "It was just a misunderstanding, Uncle Vernon, it won't happen again."

"It had better not!" Harry's tone had done nothing to soothe his uncle's temper. "Now get out! I don't want to see either of you again today!"

Harry glared at Uncle Vernon as he shuffled into his room, grabbed his wand and a small pile of money, and stuffed both into his pockets. He stomped down the stairs and out the door, Malfoy following close behind. Once both boys were outside, Uncle Vernon shut and locked the door. There was no getting back in now.

Malfoy stormed off down the street. For a moment Harry considered following him; the pale boy didn't know where he was and had no idea how to act in the muggle world. But then his shoulder began to smart where Malfoy had hit it, and Harry decided to let him find his own way for the day.

Harry started off in the direction of a local cafe. He was glad that he had thought to exchange a few Galleons for muggle money the last time he had been at Gringotts. He had been to visit the cafe several times in the past weeks on days when the grief of losing Sirius had threatened to overwhelm him. He hated to admit how familiar the scene of Malfoy crying had been- most days he cried at some point himself.

He settled into a cozy booth in the cafe. When the waitress came by he ordered a light breakfast. He ate slowly, playing with his food in an effort to distract himself from his thoughts. Finally he sighed and pushed away his plate. He looked at the clock above the counter, wondering what he was going to do for the rest of the day. He ambled out and headed towards a nearby park.


	3. An Understanding

Harry stared listlessly at the pond for hours. It was well past noon when he was startled by the sound of approaching footsteps.

He didn't have to look up. He saw the reflection of Malfoy's blond hair in the water as he approached. As he drew level with Harry he hesitated for a moment, then sat down.

"Listen, Potter." His voice was hoarse and cracked. "I shouldn't have hit you. Things have been really hard for me lately and… I lost control." his voice trailed off.

Harry sighed. "It wasn't all you, Malfoy. I shouldn't have been watching you like that. And I shouldn't have told you to stay away from me the other night either. It's just…" He took a deep breath; his voice was quivering. "Well, I've been thinking about something Dumbledore said, about there being wrongs on both sides. Maybe he was right."

Malfoy silently nodded his head. Both boys stared into the water, an unspoken agreement forming between them. Harry was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice the crunch of approaching footsteps.

"Oy, look who it is!" Harry's head swivelled up at the sound of Dudley's voice. He was with one of his more vile friends, Piers Polkiss. "It's Harry and his boyfriend, the down-in-the-dumps dragon!" Dudley jeered. "That was quite the spat you two had this morning. What happened, did one of you look at another boy?"

"Go away Dudley," Harry responded icily. "Your stench is making it impossible to enjoy nature."

"Should we beat you up, or has your boyfriend already done it for us?" Piers sneered. "Or was it really just a misunderstanding, and you weren't fighting at all this morning?"

Immediately both Harry and Malfoy's faces turned red with rage. Malfoy covered his face with his hand as Harry leapt to his feet.

"You shut your filthy mouths and sod off!" he yelled at Piers and Dudley. "If I was a year older I would curse you both!"

Dudley looked horrified by Harry's threat. Piers, however, had fixed his attention on something else. He turned his back, scowling.

"Let's go Dudley," he said. "These two are no fun anyways." He looked back for a moment. "Nice tattoo blondie. A snake? So unoriginal."

It took Harry a second to realize the meaning of Piers' words. Looking down, he saw Malfoy pressing his left arm tightly against his body, his sleeve drawn halfway down his hand, a look of dread on his face.

Harry leapt onto Malfoy. The boy kicked and squirmed, trying to throw Harry off.

"Don't, please," Malfoy begged as Harry reached for his left sleeve. The dark-haired boy didn't listen. He wrenched down the sleeve and gasped in horror.

In an instant Harry had his wand in hand, pointed at the face of the boy below him.

"Stop!" yelled Malfoy, going limp. "Please, don't use magic. Please, they can't find me! They'll kill me!"

"Then explain this!" Harry demanded, gesturing towards the Mark on Malfoy's forearm. "Are you trying to kill me? Hide in my house so you can take me straight to Voldemort?"

"No!" screamed Malfoy. "Please, put down your wand. Hit me, I deserve it, but don't let them find me!" Tears were falling from his eyes as he shook with fear.

Harry moved his wand away from Malfoy's face, wondering what was making him so terrified of it.

"Please," the boy begged, more coherent now that the wand was not in his face, "We're both still underage. If you use magic the Ministry will know and they'll send an auror to check on you. But if they see me, the Dark Lord will find out." He seemed to fold in upon himself; his voice became barely a whisper. "And if he knows where I am he'll kill me."

Confused, Harry slipped his wand back into his pocket. Malfoy stayed limp beneath him.

"If Voldemort wants to kill you then what is the Dark Mark doing on your arm?" Harry yelled. "We both know that your parents are Death Eaters Malfoy. Why shouldn't I believe that you're one too?"

"Draco," the boy on the ground whispered. "You may as well call me Draco."

Harry stiffened in surprise. "Why?" he barked.

Draco took a deep breath that caught in his throat and came out as a sob. "I ran away Potter. Don't you understand? They were forcing me to join them, the Dark Lord, Bellatrix, the other Death Eaters. To take my father's place. I thought I wanted to. I always thought I wanted to." He sobbed again. "But I was wrong. He branded me, with that- that Mark." He paused for a moment as an expression of agony crossed his face. Tears were streaming from his eyes as he took another big gulp of air. "Dumbledore got me out, I still don't know how. My mother wouldn't come with me, and I can't go back, I can't ever go back, they'll kill me if they find me."

Harry looked down at Draco. Gently, he slid the sleeve back over the Mark on his arm, being careful not to touch it. He rolled off of the boy and resumed his seat next to him. "That's why you're here then?"

Draco nodded his head and sat up. "Dumbledore said it was the only way to keep me safe. Something about you being protected here." Harry nodded his head; he knew what the headmaster had meant. "That's the only reason I agreed to come. I didn't want to stay with you Potter, any more than you want me to be here."

"Harry," the dark-haired boy said. "Call me Harry." Draco nodded his head again before pulling up his knees and burying his face in them. He wrapped his arms around his head.

"I must look pathetic," he muttered, "I haven't been able to stop crying for days."

Harry sighed. "You're not pathetic. Honestly, the only reason I've not been crying the last few days is I've been too busy being angry at you."

Draco lifted his head a little to smirk. "Or maybe we're both pathetic." Harry returned a grim smile.

Harry-" Draco didn't seem sure of what to say. "I'm sorry about your godfather. And the way I always laughed about your parents. I couldn't understand what it was like, before, to lose someone you cared about. But now… I begged my mother to come with me when I left. And she refused. And my father… I don't know if I'll ever see either of them again."

Harry reached his hand slowly towards the other boy. Gently he rested it on Draco's shoulder. The blond boy lifted his head and gave a weak smile.

"The Dursleys seem like awful people to live with. Are all muggles like them?"

Harry shook his head. "No, most muggles are no different than me or Hermione. The Dursleys are just really awful. You know that little cupboard under the stairs? That used to be my bedroom."

A look of disgust passed across Draco's face. "And I thought the guest room was small!"

Harry laughed. "It probably is compared to what you're used to."

Draco nodded. "My room back at the manor was about the same size as my whole dormitory at school. And I had my own bathroom."

At the mention of the school dormitories a thought popped into Harry's head. "What are you going to do at school?" he blurted out. "Half the Slytherins have Death Eater parents. You can't stay with them can you?"

Draco grimaced. "It's more than half of them now. Dumbledore said we could see what to do about it when school starts. I'll probably have to join another house."

Harry kicked at the ground as Draco buried his head in his knees again. He couldn't imagine being forced to join another house. As important as being a Gryffindor was to him, he knew that Draco took pride in his family's long Slytherin heritage. Joining another house would truly cement his betrayal. He looked at the boy sitting next to him.

"Hey," said Harry. "Are you hungry? It's almost suppertime, and I never had lunch."

Draco looked lost in thought for a moment but then nodded his head. "Yeah, I am. But I don't have any muggle money." He paused for a second "And I probably don't have much of our money either."

"That's okay," Harry assured him. "I've got muggle money, and I'm happy to share with you. Let's get McDonalds."

Draco stared at him blankly. "What?"

"It's what the muggles call fast food," Harry explained. "They have hamburgers and chips. You'll probably like it."

Harry and Draco arrived back at the Dursley's late that evening in surprisingly good spirits. While they were eating Harry had realized that Draco had never been to a movie theater and decided to remedy the situation. The wizard-born boy had been amazed by the lights and sound, and couldn't stop asking questions afterwards. Harry found himself smiling; he had never seen Draco so excited about anything. Once the Dursleys had grudgingly let them in, Draco had excitedly pointed to the telly and asked if it could show the same things. This had elicited a sharp remark about the ridiculous antics of "their kind" from Uncle Vernon, who demanded that they go to bed immediately.


	4. Kitchen Adventures

Harry was surprised to see Hedwig waiting for him in his room; he had forgotten that he sent her out that morning. She hooted softly as he removed the letter that was tied to her leg.

Harry,

Dumbledore's been talking to my parents about Malfoy. There's something going on with him that none of them will tell me. Bad luck that you got stuck with him though.

Ron

Harry tossed the letter aside and quickly scribbled a new one to Hermione. Then he balled it up and threw it in the bin. Unsure, he quickly pulled it back out and flattened it. He had had a good evening with Draco, and the boy did seem to be acting decently. But how could he ask Hermione to forgive someone who had called her mudblood and treated her with contempt for years? How could he be sure that Draco didn't still feel that way? And of course Ron wouldn't understand, not without proof. Even then he wasn't likely to be nice. He decided that the letter to Hermione could wait another day.

That morning Harry woke up to the sounds of Uncle Vernon leaving for work. He stared at the ceiling for a moment, deep in thought, before he rolled over and stood up. He walked quietly down the stairs and into the kitchen, grabbed an apple from the fridge, and went back to the sitting room. He settled down on the couch and turned on the telly.

A few minutes later Harry heard footsteps coming down the stairs. He turned his head to see Draco appear at the doorway. He hung back for a moment, then stepped inside and settled down in an armchair, staring in fascination at the pictures moving across the screen. Harry smiled to himself; he was only watching the news, but Draco had never seen anything like it.

"Looks like the rain is finally over," Harry said. "Good thing too, I was getting sick of it."

Draco stared at the weather map. "How do the muggles know this stuff?" he asked.

Harry contemplated trying to explain satellites and weather balloons to someone who didn't know how to plug in a lamp. He was saved from having to invent an explanation by the sound of Aunt Petunia calling him to make breakfast from the hallway.

"I'll try to explain later," he promised as he turned off the telly. He walked into the kitchen, Draco following close behind.

"Make yourself useful boy," Aunt Petunia said upon seeing him. "Make the coffee, and warm up the pack of bacon that's in the freezer so Harry can cook it."

Harry snorted as Draco stopped in the middle of the kitchen, a confused look on his face.

"Well, get on with it boy!" Aunt Petunia snapped. "Or do you not have breakfast where you're from?"

At this Harry burst out laughing. Aunt Petunia rounded on him angrily.

"What's so funny?"

"He's probably never seen a coffee maker or a microwave in his life!" Harry gasped out between peals of laughter. "Wizards use magic for that sort of stuff!" He glanced towards Draco, who was smiling broadly.

"I've never cooked anything anyways, my family had House Elves to do that! I've been in your kitchen more times than I was ever in my own!"

Aunt Petunia looked startled by Draco's admission. Sneering, she bustled away. "I expect breakfast in half an hour, Harry!" she called out.

Harry sank to the floor in a fit of laughter. Draco leaned against a counter, chuckling with a wide grin on his face.

"Have you really never cooked anything?" Harry asked as his laughter subsided.

"No," Draco replied, still shaking. "I tried to make biscuits once, summer after second year. I ended up burning myself. I still have the scar." He held out his right hand, and Harry saw a small crescent-shaped scar at the base of his thumb. "I think I could probably figure some of it out now with magic, but since that's not really an option here…" he shrugged.

"Let me show you how this stuff works," Harry offered. "If you're here a while the Dursleys will probably start treating you like they treat me."

When Aunt Petunia returned half an hour later the kitchen was a mess; coffee grinds were spilled on the counter, pans were sitting smoking on the stove, and the microwave was beeping incessantly. But Draco was grinning broadly as he flipped his first pancake onto Dudley's plate.

The summer continued in a lazy sort of way. The Dursleys had finally realized that Draco didn't understand half of what they said and did, and left him and Harry mostly alone. The two boys spent their time either in Harry's room playing card games (which Draco was surprisingly good at) or wandering around the neighbourhood. Harry wasn't sure that he would call Draco a friend, but he certainly wasn't an enemy, and he was a good deal better than Dudley.

Harry woke on July 31 to a knock at his bedroom door. Curious, he shoved his glasses onto his face and sat up. The Dursleys never knocked.

"Come in," he called.

Draco walked in, a miniscule owl perched on his shoulder. "This came for you," he said, holding out a piece of parchment. "The owl came to the wrong window."

Harry gave a half smile. "That's Pigwidgeon, Ron's owl," he explained. "He does stuff like that a lot. Can you put him over with Hedwig?" He unrolled the parchment as Draco nudged the owl onto Hedwig's perch.

"It's your birthday, isn't it?" Draco asked.

Harry looked up from the letter. "Yeah, it is," he said. "That's what this is, a birthday letter from Ron and Hermione. How did you know?"

"My parents used to talk about it all the time, because of that prophecy you smashed. 'Born as the seventh month dies'. Are the Dursleys going to do anything for it?"

Harry gave a forced laugh. "They don't exactly like to celebrate me. They usually give me old socks and yell at me to make them food. A few years ago they sent me a toothpick for Christmas."

Draco grimaced. "Even the Death Eaters make a bigger deal out of your birthday than your family does. I wish I could do something for you."

"It's all right," Harry said, "I'm used to it. Maybe we can go do something exciting ourselves later."

Draco nodded eagerly. "Yeah, we could make a real adventure of it!"

Harry glanced quickly down the letter from Ron. At the bottom was a section in Hermione's neat writing.

"Hey, look here!" Harry called out, startling Draco. "Hermione says that Dumbledore has been at the Burrow, and that he's planning on coming back to get us soon!"

Draco took the parchment and read the section Harry was pointing to. His face took on a stony expression.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked, noticing his sudden silence.

Draco shook his head and returned the parchment. "Nothing." He did not meet Harry's eyes.

Harry didn't say anything. Draco broke the silence a moment later.

"Your aunt and uncle are awful," he said, "but at least they didn't know who I was when I came here. Once Dumbledore comes to get us we're going to the Weasley's. And they know all of the awful things that I've said and done. And that my parents have done. They're going to be awful to me. And I deserve it."

Harry shook his head slowly. "The Weasley's are really nice people, Draco. They understand that people can change."

Draco's grey eyes met Harry's green ones. "Do you honestly think that Ron will accept that?" There was an edge to his voice. "Or Ginny, who almost died because of my father? The twins probably wouldn't even let me into their shop in Diagon Alley, no matter what I told them."

"It's going to be okay. Ron can be really pigheaded sometimes, but he'll come around."

"What will happen when they see this?" Draco was nearly shouting now. He pulled back his sleeve to reveal the swirling mark beneath. "That'll prove to them that I'm not a Death Eater! I'll be lucky if they don't curse me on the spot!"

"Stop!" Harry yelled. "I won't let that happen. I'll explain what happened to them, and if they won't listen to me, Dumbledore will explain it too!"

Draco seemed to calm down and Harry gave him a small smile. "Besides, they wouldn't curse you. Just don't eat anything from Fred and George and you'll be fine."

Draco's face took on a serious expression. "Actually," he said, his voice low, "I should thank them. It was because of them that I managed to get away."

Harry looked at him curiously. "What do you mean?"

"When I was unpacking my trunk I found a couple of their candies; a Puking Pastille and one of the nosebleed ones. They must've fallen in there some time. I remembered people using them to get out of Umbridge's class, and decided to carry them around with me. The Dark Lord had been living with us for a year, and my Aunt Bellatrix, and the Death Eaters were there so often. And because of everything that happened at the ministry, the Dark Lord was unhappy with my family. He threatened my mother, and me, all the time. I thought it might be good to have them, just in case.'

'Then he decided that I could be made a replacement for my father. My mother thought that it would gain back his favour for our family. So, he - he branded me, with his mark." Draco shuddered. "Everyone vomits when he does it, from the pain and the shock. But then he did it to me, and I took a bite of the candy so that I didn't stop. And then my nose started bleeding. My mother got really worried and begged him to let me go to my room while she called a healer.'

'I wrote a letter to Dumbledore as soon as I was alone. He was the only one I could think of who could help. I threw what I could in a bag and buried it deep in my closet, just in case someone saw. I don't know how Dumbledore got my message so fast, or how he did it, but when the healer came, he walked right out with me and took me straight to him."

Harry shook his head in disbelief. "That was really brave."

"Not really." Draco's voice was no more than a whisper. "I only did it because I was scared. I'm not like you Harry. I don't stand up and do things because I believe they're right. I run away because I'm scared."

Draco turned his back and rolled his sleeve back over the angry mark on his arm. He winced as the fabric touched it.

"I'm glad you ran away," Harry said at last. "And I'm glad you're here. And if the Weasleys won't take the chance to get to know you, they'll really be missing out."

"Thanks,"" Draco muttered. He shuffled back to his room.


	5. Fear

A few hours later a second owl arrived. It flew through the open kitchen window and landed on the counter, causing Aunt Petunia to scream and bat it away. Harry took the message from its beak and hurried it outside as his aunt muttered about the 'filthy bird'. He unrolled the parchment.

Harry,

Firstly, happy birthday. I wish you all the best.

I will be arriving at your aunt and uncle's home tomorrow evening (the first of August) at five o'clock. I will be taking you and Mr. Malfoy to assist me with an errand, and then you will both be going to spend the remainder of your summer with the Weasley family. Please ensure that your belongings are packed and ready when I arrive.

Give my best to Draco and your family,

Albus Dumbledore

Harry pocketed the letter, avoiding Draco's piercing gaze. He would show it to him later.

The Dursleys sank to all-time low and didn't mention Harry's birthday once. Ignoring them, the boys went to explore some shops in a nearby neighbourhood. In the afternoon stormclouds began to gather, threatening rain. They bought an enormous amount of candy and resolved to spend the rest of their day playing Risk in Harry's room.

Upon returning, however, their plans were shattered. Piers and Dudley were in the living room watching the telly; Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia were nowhere to be seen.

Dudley sneered at the two boys as they came in. "Have fun on your little date?" Piers smirked along.

"Sod off Dudley," Harry muttered.

"Why do you always wear long sleeves, blondie?" Piers asked. "Your boyfriend not like your tattoo?"

Draco rounded angrily on Piers. Harry, who knew what he could be like when provoked, reached out to pull him back.

"Oh, don't like him fighting, do you?" Piers taunted. "Why don't you let him make his own decisions."

Draco tore his arm out of Harry's grasp. He reached into the pocket where Harry knew he kept his wand. He seemed to think better of pulling it out, and instead wrenched up his left sleeve.

"This what you're talking about?" He spat angrily at the muggle boy. "This 'tattoo'? Do you want to know what happens if I touch this tattoo?"

A horrified look crossed Dudley's face; he had realized that this was no ordinary tattoo. He grabbed at Piers' arm to pull him away.

Harry saw Draco's right arm twitch towards his left one. He moved around him to see his outstretched arm, the mark on it no longer red and dormant but an angry black. A flicker of pain crossed Draco's face as the colour intensified.

Piers stared in fascination at the Mark, his taunting becoming curiosity. "How did you do that?"

Draco smirked. "The Dark Lord just summoned his Death Eaters. They're assembling right now, probably trying to figure out where Harry is so that they can kill him." Dudley's pull on Piers' arm became frantic. "I have this Mark because I'm one of them. All I have to do is touch it and they'll see and come straight here, and kill everyone in their path. Including you."

Piers paled a little; it was obvious from Draco's tone that he was neither joking nor lying. Dudley finally managed to pull him away, casting a petrified glance at Harry and Draco. The two muggle boys sank back into the couch.

Draco's face fell as he turned away and pulled down his sleeve. Harry could see him rubbing at his forearm and realized that the mark must be hurting him. Silently they walked up the stairs.

"Don't worry about Piers," Harry said. "He's just a bully. By tomorrow all he'll remember is that you scared him. I doubt he'll even remember seeing the mark." Draco nodded tensely.

Harry remembered the note in his pocket. "Besides, you won't have to see him after tomorrow. Dumbledore is coming to get us. He said he'll be here at five o'clock, and we both need to be packed to leave."

At the top of the stairs Draco paused and sighed. "Harry," he began, "I know we were going to play games. But, could we wait until later? I would like to be alone for a while."

Harry nodded reassuringly. "I understand. Let me know if you want to talk."

"Thanks," Draco said. He stepped into the guest bedroom and shut the door.

Harry kept his door open a crack. He looked around his room; it was a mess. Slowly he began picking up his things and tossing them into his school trunk. After a few minutes he heard voices from downstairs, followed by shuffling feet. The door slammed as Dudley and Piers left the house.

Harry flopped on his bed. His trunk was a mess, but all of his school things were in it. He thumbed idly through Hogwarts: A History, toying again with the idea of actually reading it just to surprise Hermione. He heard Draco walk down the hall into the bathroom.

He tossed the book into his trunk, deciding that he might as well keep asking Hermione about Hogwarts. It landed with a thud. He sat up and stretched his back.

A strange sound came from the bathroom; a sort of muffled yell. Harry pulled his door open and looked towards the room.

A second yelp split the air, followed by the unmistakeable sound of sobs. Harry dashed towards the bathroom and wrenched open the door.

What he saw made him freeze. Draco was standing over the sink, a crazed look on his face. In his right hand he held a knife. Blood was pouring from deep gouges in his left arm, mixing with tears and flowing down the drain.

Harry lunged forward to grab the knife; he caught it by the blade and sliced his own hand open. Cursing, he pulled it away from Draco and dropped it onto the counter.

"What the hell are you doing?" he shouted.

Draco stared at the floor, his tears falling into the sink. He gasped as Harry grabbed his arm.

"I have to get it off." He sounded panicked. "I hate it! It's been burning all day. I have to get rid of it!"

Harry looked at the gouges Draco had made around the mark adorning his arm. They were deep, and bleeding badly.

"Sit down," Harry said gently. "And tell me if you get dizzy at all."

Draco nodded. His eyes slid towards the knife and Harry nudged it out of his reach.

"You'd die before you could cut that much of your arm off," he muttered.

Draco stayed silent but allowed Harry to guide him to the floor.

Harry pulled some bandages out of the cupboard. "I don't think I'll be able to stop the bleeding," he said. "You're going to have to go to a doctor."

Draco's eyes lit up with fear. "I can't go to St. Mungo's! They won't help me, not with the Dark Mark on my arm! And what if they turn me in? What if the Death Eaters find me? What if He finds me?"

"Calm down," Harry said, "We won't take you to St. Mungo's. I don't have any way to get you there anyways." He sighed. "But you can't go to a muggle doctor either, you don't have any ID." He looked at the cuts again. He was applying pressure to them, but the blood kept seeping out through the bandages. He glanced at Draco's face and was frightened by how pale it had already become. He didn't know how to heal wounds with magic, but even if he did he knew that he couldn't risk revealing Draco's location to anyone from the Ministry. Slowly, an idea formed in his mind.

"I know something that might work to stop you bleeding," he said, sounding much calmer than he felt at the prospect. "But it'll hurt. Probably a lot."

Draco turned his tear-stained face towards Harry. "Just don't take me to St. Mungo's."

"Keep pressing on these. I'll be back in a second."

Harry hurried downstairs, searching for Aunt Petunia's sewing box. What he was considering was dangerous and stupid, but there weren't many options, and if he didn't act fast Draco was going to bleed out on the bathroom floor. Spotting the box, he threw it open and pulled out a needle and thread. He raced back up the stairs.

Draco was leaning against the wall. The crazed look was gone from his eyes, replaced by a vacant stare. Harry fumbled in the cabinet for disinfectant.

"Stay very still," he muttered as he took Draco's arm. "This is going to sting."

Hands shaking, Harry dumped the disinfectant over the cuts, pouring a liberal amount over the needle as well. He paused, unsure.

"What happens if I touch it?"

It took a moment for Draco to respond. Finally, he shook his head. "Nothing." Harry was concerned by how slurred his speech was. "You have to really mean it."

Draco's body went rigid as Harry pushed the needle through his skin, but he didn't cry out. Harry sewed shut the gouges on his arm, pulling the torn edges as close together as possible. He silently thanked Aunt Petunia for forcing him to learn how to mend clothes as a child.

After what seemed like hours, the cuts were all shut. Harry poured disinfectant over everything and wrapped Draco's arm tightly in a long bandage. He watched for a minute, but no blood seeped through. He sat back and took a deep breath; if this didn't work he would have to find a way to get him to St. Mungo's despite the danger.

Harry looked around the bathroom. There was blood everywhere. He felt a twinge and looked down at his hand, remembering the cut from the knife. He turned on the tap and ran his hand under the warm water. It didn't look serious. He wrapped a bandage around it.

He turned back to Draco. He was still sitting on the floor, slumped over and barely conscious. His shirt was soaked with blood. Harry helped him gently to his feet and helped him to pull it off, then rinsed the blood off of his arms and face.

"I'm going to take you to my room," Harry said gently. "It'll be best if you stay there tonight." Aunt Petunia would be far less angry about blood on his sheets than on her good guest bed.

Leaning on Harry, Draco limped across the hall and into the small bedroom. Harry held his injured arm gently as he collapsed into the bed and pulled up the covers. With relief, Harry noticed that some of the colour was starting to come back into his face. He rushed back to the bathroom; he had to clean it before the Dursleys got home.

The empty bathroom was a frightening sight. There was blood spattered across the mirror, sink and floor. The now empty bottle of disinfectant was lying in a corner next to several bloodstained bandages. Draco's knife sat menacingly on the counter.

Sighing, Harry found a rag. He tossed the disinfectant bottle and bandages in the bin; there was no point trying to pretend that nothing had happened. A few minutes later he had mopped up the blood from the floor and sink and was wiping the mirror.

Harry surveyed the bathroom. The blood was gone, and it was passably clean. He pulled open the cabinet and rummaged through it, searching for anything that might help Draco. He pulled out a package of iron tablets before running to the kitchen, where he poured a large glass of orange juice. He would have preferred a blood replenishing potion, but this would have to do.


	6. The Fight

Draco was shivering. Harry looked carefully at the bandages. A little blood had started to seep through, but not enough to worry him. He helped Draco to sit up.

"Take these," Harry said softly. "And drink this. It'll help you feel better." He passed the pills to Draco and helped him to drink the juice.

When he had finished Draco groaned and slid back down in the bed. His eyes fluttered shut and Harry pulled the blankets up onto him.

Harry slept on the floor that night, waking every couple of hours to check on Draco. Early in the morning he unwrapped the bandages. The cuts had all stopped bleeding and looked clean. He replaced the bandages with new ones and hoped that they were not infected. A few times he woke Draco to drink more juice; he remembered reading about the importance of staying hydrated after losing blood.

It was late morning when Harry was woken by a loud groan. He sat up. Draco's eyes were open and he was cradling his left arm with his right hand.

"What happened?" he asked. "My head hurts."

Harry stood up and took his arm, checking it carefully for blood.

"I could ask you the same thing," he said. "Last night I found you bleeding in the bathroom. I think you were trying to cut the Mark off your arm."

Draco groaned. "Oh, yeah." He sighed and then nodded. "I was," he said matter-of-factly. "That stupid muggle made something snap. I don't want it Harry. It burns and hurts, and it scares me. And I don't want to be a part of them. I don't want anyone to think I'm a part of them." He paused. "I don't really remember doing it. How bad is it?"  
Harry looked at Draco's face. It was pale and drawn. "Really bad," he said softly. "I had to do something, you were losing so much blood, and I couldn't take you to any hospitals. I did something the muggles call stitches. Basically, I sewed your skin back together with a piece of thread."

Draco grimaced. "That's why it hurts so much."

Harry nodded. "You're going to have scars. Really bad ones."

"I don't really plan on showing anyone my arm anytime soon anyways." Draco shrugged. He winced as the movement jarred his arm.

"Dumbledore is going to have to look at those," Harry said.

Draco shook his head. "I'll be fine."

"No, I'm serious. I literally sewed you together with a needle. I don't know how long it's going to last, or how to keep it from getting infected. You need help."

Draco scowled. His protest was cut off by an enraged bellow from Uncle Vernon.

"Harry! Get down here! And bring that malicious boy with you!"

Still scowling, Draco tried to get his feet. He swayed alarmingly.

"Stay here," Harry said, pushing him back down. "You're seriously not doing well. I'll talk to them." He opened the door and looked back. "Seriously Draco, don't move, you'll hurt yourself."

Harry walked down the stairs, dreading what he would find in the living room. He turned the corner.

Aunt Petunia was sitting on the couch, clutching desperately onto Dudley. Uncle Vernon was stomping in front of them, clearly fuming. He looked up as Harry entered the room.

"Where is he?" his tone was dangerous. "Where's that freak who threatened my son?"  
"He's sick," Harry answered cooly. "He can't get out of bed."

Aunt Petunia started. She pulled her face away from Dudley and eyed Harry suspiciously. "It was his blood, wasn't it, in the bathroom?" Harry didn't answer.

"I don't care what's wrong with him," Uncle Vernon bellowed. "He threatened Dudley yesterday! With some ridiculous tattoo from your kind." He spat the last words. "I will not have that in my house! I want him out, now. And I never want to see your worthless face again either!"

Harry snapped. "I hope I never have to see you or this horrid place again!" he shouted. "You're monsters, all of you, and I've always hated you! Yesterday Piers was making fun of Draco. What did you expect him to do, just walk away? Pretend like it never happened? Like you've always made me do?" he spat the words out. "Well, you're in luck. Dumbledore is coming for us tonight. Then we'll be gone. And you won't have to worry about my worthless face anymore!" He turned and stormed out of the room, Uncle Vernon hot on his heels.

"You are no longer welcome in my house, or my family!"

Harry paused at the foot of the stairs. "Good," he muttered, "I never wanted to be stuck here anyways." He dashed up the stairs and shut himself in his bedroom.

Harry looked towards the bed. Draco had propped himself up on his elbows. His face was drained of colour.

"I'm really sorry," he whispered. "I didn't think they would be that bad. I should've never shown the muggle my Mark."

Harry shook his head. "It's been coming for a long time," he said. "I've always hated them. Besides, it won't be that long before Dumbledore comes and we can forget all about them."

Draco nodded and collapsed back into the bed. Harry hurried over and examined his arm carefully. He didn't see any new blood, but he was still worried. He glanced at the clock; it was almost noon. He idly wondered why Uncle Vernon was at home at noon on a Thursday. Draco followed his gaze.

"When will Dumbledore be here?" the blond asked.

"His letter said five o'clock," Harry answered. "We still have a few hours. Why don't you rest for a bit, and then we can get your things packed up?"

Draco nodded; Harry could see his eyelids drooping already. Soon he was fast asleep, breathing deeply. Harry rummaged idly in his trunk, knowing that the Dursleys would not allow him downstairs.

It was nearly two o'clock when the cat flap at the base of Harry's door rattled, stirring Draco out of his sleep. Harry watched as Aunt Petunia's hand appeared briefly, pushing a tray through the door. It had two plates, each with a piece of fish and a peanut butter sandwich, and two large glasses of milk. Harry was surprised; usually when the Dursleys were angry with him they gave him cold soup and other equally unpleasant things. He reached towards the tray.

"Make sure that he eats," Aunt Petunia's voice came from the other side of the door. She spoke in a surprisingly soft tone. "If he's lost blood, these will help."

"Thanks," muttered Harry, "I will." He was surprised to see this compassionate side of his usually harsh aunt. He heard her footsteps move away from the door as he reached over to shake Draco awake.

The two boys ate quickly. Draco was feeling much better and had no trouble sitting up. Once he had finished Harry helped him to the bathroom, where he quickly showered in an attempt to wash streaks of red from his light hair. By the time that he had finished and Harry had carefully rewrapped his arm in bandages, they had just enough time left to throw his belongings into his bag.

With a grunt Harry pulled his school trunk from his room and to the top of the stairs. It joined Draco's bag and Hedwig's cage to form a precarious pyramid. He glanced at a clock. Dumbledore would be here any minute. He turned back to his room. He and Draco were dressed and ready to leave. Draco was doing much better than he had been earlier, but was still wobbly on his feet. Harry was sure that he would need help down the stairs.

Finally, the doorbell rang. Harry dashed down the stairs, Draco hobbling slowly behind. He threw open the door to reveal the wizard, wearing a bright purple robe and standing with a wide smile on his face.

"Ah Harry, it's good to see you," Dumbledore said. Looking past the figure in the doorway, he added, "And you too Draco. I hope that you have both been well."

Before either boy could answer, Uncle Vernon came bursting out of the sitting room.

"You!" the man bellowed. "It's about time you showed up! Dropping this delinquent on us and then vanishing- bah!" A vein ticked angrily in his neck. "Take them away. Neither of them is welcome back here." He gestured angrily at Harry, holding the door, and Draco, swaying slightly on the third last step.

Dumbledore smiled politely. "I am indeed here to take the boys away for the remainder of the summer. However, I must ask that you allow Harry to return once more before he comes of age on his seventeenth birthday. You see, as long as he is able to call this place home, as cruel and awful as it may be, he is protected by the enchantments I set up fifteen years ago. Without the protection of these enchantments he would become vulnerable to Lord Voldemort, who I know you have heard about, and his Death Eaters."

Dudley, who had slunk into the hallway unnoticed, stammered at the mention of Death Eaters. He glanced nervously towards Draco's left arm before turning and running into the kitchen.

Uncle Vernon looked extremely displeased. Dumbledore fixed him with his piercing gaze.

"Perhaps this matter would best be discussed in writing. I will send you a letter explaining the circumstances as soon as I am able."

Uncle Vernon glared at the wizard. "I will not tolerate any more bloody owls in my house!" he barked.

"Quite understandable," Dumbledore nodded. "I will be sure to send my letter through your post system." The headmaster turned back towards Harry and Draco. "Now, are you packed and prepared to leave?"

Harry nodded his head. "Our things are upstairs. I'll just-"

Dumbledore cut him off. "There is no need for you to bring them here," he said. "I will send them to the Weasley's house ahead of us." He flicked his wand. "Now, Harry, Draco, if you will follow me."

Dumbledore led the way down the street. His fast pace was too much for Draco, who fell behind immediately, gasping as he tried to keep up.

"Slow down," Harry said, noticing Draco behind him. Dumbledore stopped and turned towards the boy.

"You do not look well today Draco," the professor mused.

Harry shook his head, earning himself a furious look from Draco. "He's hurt professor," Harry said. "He… got cut, on his arm, last night, and he lost a lot of blood. I had to improvise a way to stop the bleeding."

Dumbledore moved towards Draco with a concerned expression. "Can I see?" he asked gently. Grudgingly, Draco held out his arm. Dumbledore gently unwrapped the bandages.

"These are very serious cuts, Draco," the headmaster observed. "Can I ask what your reasoning was?"  
Draco hung his head. "I wasn't really thinking," he admitted. "I wanted to get it off- the Mark. It seemed like the best way."

Dumbledore nodded understandingly. "Unfortunately, Draco," he began, "there is no way for you to be rid of it. Thankfully, Harry seems to have kept his wits about him. I have no doubt that the stitches he gave you last night saved your life. Now, at this point there is very little that can be done for you magically. You will simply have to wait for these wounds to heal. They are currently very clean, and have not become infected. You will have to be very careful to keep them that way. As far as the ill effects from losing blood: I am certain that Molly Weasley has some Blood Replenishing Potion. When we reach the Burrow we can ask her if she would be willing to give some to you to assist in your recovery."

"Now," Dumbledore continued, "I have some important business that I will need your help with. If you could both grasp tightly onto my arms, we will be travelling by apparition."

As Harry took hold of Dumbledore's right arm, he noticed that the wizard's wand hand was blackened and shrivelled, resembling something long dead.


	7. The Burrow

Harry smiled in appreciation as the Burrow came into view in the early morning light. Dumbledore's important business had turned out to be a trip to an old friend; the man had seemed quite eccentric. Upon their arrival he had wrecked the house in which he was staying and disguised himself as an armchair, afraid that they may be Death Eaters seeking him out. In the end he had agreed to Dumbledore's proposition to return to Hogwarts as a teacher. He had seemed strangely fascinated by both boys, and enjoyed talking about the students that he had formerly taught. He was quite proud of their accomplishments.

Before proceeding towards the Weasley's lopsided house, Dumbledore pulled both boys out of sight.

"I am proud of you, Harry and Draco," he said, "for learning to put aside your differences in the past weeks. I am aware that staying here will be stressful for you Draco. Unfortunately it will be difficult for the Weasleys to accept you. Let me assure you that they are good people, who have a great capacity for kindness. If you are open and honest with them they will, in time, come to trust you. Until then I am certain that you will have the support of Harry, and of Arthur and Molly Weasley, who understand a good deal about the situation that you are in."

Draco nodded his head numbly. Harry could see fear in his eyes.

"Now, before we continue, there are several things that I would like to make you aware of." Dumbledore was addressing Daco directly. "Firstly, I want to assure you that, for the time being, your mother is safe. Her situation remains precarious, but no harm had fallen to her."

Draco gave a weak smile at this news as relief washed across his face.

"Secondly, is, of course, the matter of money." Draco's smile was quickly replaced by a grimace. "You have, of course been restricted completely from your parent's Gringott's vault. You will no longer be able to access any of their money or to open any credit in their I was able to act quickly to secure your personal vault. All of your assets have been moved to a new vault which you have sole access to."

Draco's smile returned, a little broader, at the good news.

"The last matter," Dumbledore continued, "Is sadly not of such a welcome nature. In past weeks it has become clear that you will not safely be able to remain in Slytherin house in the coming year. As it is not our tradition to re-sort students, there is no existing protocol on how to handle such a matter. However, I have come up with a solution that I hope will be acceptable for everyone."

"Will I be joining another house then?" Draco asked.

"Yes," replied the headmaster. "I am afraid that you will have to do so. I propose that in the next month you should determine which house you would most like to join. When school reconvenes on September first we will discuss the matter again, and if we are in agreeance then you can join the house of your choosing."

Draco seemed perplexed by this idea. "Professor," he began hesitantly, "I don't know what other house I could fit into. I've never thought of myself as anything but a Slytherin."

Dumbledore smiled at Draco and gave a small wink. "You would do well in any of the houses, Draco," he answered. "But it is up to you to decide what you value most."

This seemed to signal the end of the conversation. Dumbledore resumed his walk up the path, the two students trailing behind.

"Your OWL results should arrive later today,' the Headmaster beamed at them. "I'm sure that you're both quite excited."

Harry chuckled. "Not as excited as Hermione must be."

They approached the Weasley's back door. From inside Harry could see a flurry of movement, followed by Mrs. Weasley's voice cutting into the early morning stillness.

"Who's there? Declare yourself!"

"It is I, Dumbledore," the wizard replied. "Bringing young friends."

Harry could see Draco tense as the door flew open. "Dumbledore!" Molly exclaimed in relief. "I thought you wouldn't be here until later."

"It so happens that we were lucky," Dumbledore answered. "Horace Slughorn proved to be quite easily convinced." He stepped forward as Molly ushered them into the kitchen. "Hello, Nymphadora."

Tonks was sitting at the table, peering into a cup of tea. At Dumbledore's greeting she raised her head, only to be captivated by something behind him. Harry turned to see that she was staring at Draco.

"H-Hello," Tonks stammered breathlessly. "Draco, right?"

Draco nodded his head slowly."Yeah," he said, "I'm Draco. You're- you're Nymphadora Tonks, right?"

Tonks slid back her chair. She looked sad, Harry thought, and surprisingly regular without her signature bubblegum pink hair. She crossed the room to Draco and stuck out her hand.

"It's nice to finally meet you," she said shyly. "I've always wondered what kind of person my cousin was."

Draco hesitated for a moment before grasping her hand. "It's nice to meet you too," he replied with a small smile.

Tonks hesitated for a moment. "Are you alright? I know the Malfoys are pale, but you're like a ghost."

"Yes," interjected Dumbledore, "I wanted to speak to Molly about that. It seems that Draco was injured last night. Thanks to some quick thinking on Harry's part he will be fine, but he has several bad cuts on his arm and has lost a good deal of blood. I was hoping that you would be able to look after him, and ensure that he heals properly."

Mrs. Weasley looked at Draco and smiled softly. "Of course I will. I have some blood replenishing potion upstairs from when Arthur-" she paused. "I'll get it for you in a few minutes."

Tonks turned to Mrs. Weasley. "Thank you Molly, for the tea. And for listening."

"It was no problem dear," Mrs. Weasley continued to smile. "Why don't you come to dinner Thursday? Remus will be here."

Tonks shook her head. "No, I don't think that would be best," she replied sadly. She picked up her jacket. "I'm afraid I must really be going."

"Allow me to accompany you," Dumbledore said. "I have business with the minister."

Tonks nodded her head and the two of them disappeared out the door, leaving Harry and Draco alone as Mrs. Weasley bustled off.

Harry looked at Draco curiously. "I didn't realize you and Tonks are cousins." He thought of the tapestry that hung in 12 Grimmauld Place.

Draco nodded slowly. "Our mothers are sisters. Narcissa, Andromeda, and Bellatrix. We've never met before. I remember seeing her around Hogwarts a few times in our first year though." There was a distant look in his eyes.

Harry thought he heard someone on the stairs. As he turned to look he heard a crash behind him. He swung back around to see Draco lying on the floor, clutching at his arm.

"Draco! What happened?"  
Draco looked up at him, squinting. "I'm tired. It hurts." His head slumped backwards.

Harry threw himself down and caught Draco's head just in time before it hit the floor. He lowered the unconscious boy down gently before pulling up his sleeve to check the wounds.

Mrs. Weasley bustled back into the room. A look of alarm spread over her face as she saw the boys huddled on the floor.

"What happened?" she asked anxiously as she hurried closer.

"He passed out," Harry answered, examining the cuts. There was no blood, but the Mark burned black. Mrs. Weasley lowered herself to the floor beside him. Out of the corner of his eye Harry saw her cringe as she looked at Draco's arm.

"He didn't want it," Harry muttered. "He tried to cut it off. That's what all of this is from."

Mrs. Weasley nodded. "Dumbledore told Arthur and myself what to expect." She grasped Draco's arm. "Are those what the muggles call stitches? I remember, Arthur tried them."

Harry nodded his head. "Yeah, it was the best I could do. I found him bleeding in the bathroom, and I couldn't do any magic. I'm afraid that they'll come out though, or that they'll get infected."

Harry felt an arm slip around his shoulders. He leaned into Mrs. Weasley. The touch felt comforting.

"I'll take care of it," she promised. "Starting by giving him some of this." She pulled her hand away from Harry and reached into her robe to retrieve a small vial. "Blood replenishing potion. Now, if you can hold him up a bit, like this, I think he'll feel much better once he can get some of this down."

Harry helped Mrs. Weasley to trickle some of the potion down Draco's throat. Colour began to come back to his cheeks as he stirred. A few moments later, his eyes fluttered open.

"Why am I on the floor?"

Harry chuckled in relief as Mrs. Weasley handed Draco the vial. He gulped it down as Harry told him about his fall.

"Are you boys hungry?" Mrs. Weasley's voice came from across the kitchen. Harry looked at Draco, who nodded.

"Yeah, I think we both are." he called back as he helped Draco towards a seat at the table.

Mrs. Weasley spooned a large bowl of steaming soup out of a simmering pot for each of the boys. Setting it in front of them, she waved her wand at a loaf of bread. Immediately two pieces split off and soared over to rest with the soup. Harry beamed up at her.

The boys ate as if they were famished. Draco seemed to forget, or otherwise disregard, his impeccable manners as he tore at the bread and dipped it into his soup. He smiled contentedly, the anxiety momentarily vanishing from his face.

Mr. Weasley arrived home as the boys ate. Exhausted, he sat down beside them and ate just as vigorously. Finally he pushed back his plate, glancing at Harry just as he tried to stifle a yawn.

"I think it's time you two got to bed," Mr. Weasley observed. Mrs. Weasley turned towards them.

"Yes," she agreed. "It's very late. Fred and George are staying in the flat above their shop in Diagon Alley. Their joke shop is doing very well, they're too busy keeping up with it to come home every night. I've made up the beds in their room." She paused, chewing her lip nervously. "If that's not alright, we can wake up Ron and set up a bed for Harry in his room." She looked pensively towards the boys.

"No," said Draco softly, "That would be fine. I don't mind sharing a room with Harry. So long as he doesn't mind." He glanced towards Harry.

Harry shook his head. "Fred and George's room sounds fantastic, Mrs. Weasley," he asserted. He turned towards Draco. "Besides,someone has to make sure you don't pass out again." The playful tone in his voice did not quite cover his concern.

Mrs. Weasley led them to a room on the second floor. Other than the beds pushed against either wall, it looked more like a storage room than a bedroom, with boxes piled everywhere. Harry's trunk and Draco's bag were there waiting for them as they sank eagerly into bed.


	8. New Beginnings?

Harry woke to the sound of voices twittering anxiously. He swung his legs over the edge of the bed, glancing to the other side of the room. Draco was sitting up in his bed, his eyes fixed on the wall across from him.

"You might as well open the door before they break it down." Harry could hear the anxiety he was trying to hide under his usual sneering tone.

As Harry pulled open the door a ball of wavy brown hair streaked into him, nearly knocking him over. He took several steps back into the room as Hermione clung to him.

"Harry!" she exclaimed. "We've missed you so much!"

Ron and Ginny followed Hermione into the room. Harry noticed as Ron glanced towards Draco, an angry look on his face. He pulled away from Hermione and turned towards his friends.

"Hermione, Ginny, Ron. There's someone I would like you to meet." He met their confused stares with a confident grin and gestured towards Draco, who was resolutely ignoring them. "This is Draco. He's been staying at my house for the past couple of weeks, and he's a really great guy. I think you should get to know him."

At the sound of his name Draco swivelled his head towards the occupants of his room. He met the confused stares of Hermione and both Weasleys with a passive one of his own.

Hermione stared at Draco, her mouth open in shock, for a moment before walking towards him. He cringed away from her.

"Hello, Draco." She stretched her hand out towards him. "Harry's right. I would like to get to know you."

Tentatively, Draco took her hand with his own and shook it. A small smile appeared on his lips. "I think I would like to get to know you, too."

Something flickered in Ron's eyes. Before he could say anything, a voice called up the stairs.

"'Ermione! Ginny! Mrs. Weasley ees asking for your 'elp!"

Ron and Ginny spoke at once.

"Phlegm!"

"Fleur!"

Harry chuckled as he looked at his friend's faces. Both Ginny and Hermione had scrunched up their faces in frustration. Ron, however, had a dreamy look spread across his.

"Fleur Delacour," Hermione explained, turning away from Draco. "She and Bill are engaged, and she's been staying here to 'get to know the family'. But she's been so frustrating!" She sighed. "Come on Ginny, we'd better get down before she comes up here herself." With a last glance at Harry, the two girls left the room.

As the door closed behind them, Ron bolted across the room, an angry look in his eyes. He threw himself onto Draco's bed and pinned the boy to the wall behind him.

"Listen," he snarled, "Harry might trust you but I don't. You say one thing, just one thing to Hermione, or to my sister, that I don't like, and I'll curse you into a thousand pieces. Got it?"

Draco squirmed, his eyes bulging. Harry barrelled after Ron.

"Get off of him!" Harry shouted. Ron didn't listen as his friend pulled at him "I mean it Ron, get off!"

"Not until he promises he won't hurt Hermione!" Ron yelled back.

"I won't, okay?" Draco gasped. "I won't do anything to her. Or to your family. I promise!"

Ron let go of Draco but didn't back away. "How do I know you're serious?" he asked suspiciously. "How do I know you're any different than you've always been?"

Draco met Ron's stare with one of his own. "I'm here aren't I?" his voice seethed with a mixture of anger and fear. He rubbed his arm where Ron had grabbed it, wincing.

Ron's eyes widened as he grabbed at Draco again and ripped his sleeve down "Then what the bloody hell is that?" he yelled, pinning Draco against the wall with his shoulder. "You're one of them! You pretending to be Harry's friend so you can get close and kill him? Waiting to get Hermione too, since she's not a pure blood like you? Or is it all of us you're after, a bunch of blood traitors to prove yourself to You-Know-Who?" Draco kicked and struggled to get away, but Ron had too strong a hold on him.

"Ron! Stop, now!" Harry shouted, "Get off of him! You have no idea-"

Draco got in a good kick as Harry finally managed to pull Ron off. The two boys collapsed to the floor wrestling as Draco sank back into the bed. He yanked his sleeve back down, screwing up his face in pain as blood started to trickle down his arm.

Below him Harry had pinned Ron to the floor and was shouting at him. "-could never understand! Stop being an idiot and give him half a chance!"

Draco shook his head. "Harry, he's your friend! Don't fight over me!"

Harry let go of Ron's flailing arms and turned to Draco. "No, he has no right to treat you like that." He looked back at Ron. "At least give him the chance to explain things, when he's ready, before you jump all over him!"

Ron nodded gruffly at Harry. "Fine, but it had better be one hell of an explanation." He sat up as Harry moved off of him.

Just at that moment Hermione burst through the door, waving a pile of sealed envelopes.

"Our O.W.L.S!" she shouted. "They've just arrived!" she glanced around the room. "What happened?" she asked, concern in her voice. "Draco, is that blood?"

Harry swiveled around and grabbed Draco's arm. "Get your mother," he hissed to Ron as he saw the blood trickling onto his fingers.

Draco cringed as Harry pulled his sleeve back up, exposing his Mark to Hermione. He looked at the girl imploringly. "It's not what you think," he muttered.

Hermione paused for a moment, fear flickering in her eyes, before she sat down next to Draco.

"Those cuts look deep," she mused. "The stitches were a good idea, but it's going to take a while for them to heal. You must have lost a lot of blood. How are you feeling?"

Draco smiled weakly at her. "The cuts hurt. I felt really sick and weak yesterday, but Mrs. Weasley gave me a blood replenishing potion last night. I feel alright now."

Hermione's hands were shaking as she checked the cuts. "It looks like only this one is open. The rest seem to be healing better. Maybe the stitches weren't as good on this one."

"That was the first one I did," Harry said. "I don't think I pulled it tight enough."

Hermione ran her fingers gently over the other cuts. "I think these ones are okay-"

Mrs. Weasley burst into the room, Ron, Ginny and Fleur trailing behind her. Draco grimaced as they all glanced down at his arm.

"Let me get a look at that," Mrs. Weasley said as she gently shooed Harry and Hermione away. "I didn't get the chance to take a good look last night." She looked up at the rest of the room. "Why don't you all head downstairs? Breakfast is almost ready."

Harry backed out of the room slowly and followed his friends to the kitchen. They sat down around the table as Fleur busied herself finishing the breakfast.

Finally Ginny broke the silence. "Well, I didn't see that coming."

Ron snickered and Harry shot him a dirty look. "Those cuts," he said, "he tried to cut it off. Just- let him explain before you start thinking things. There's more to it than you know."

Fleur cleared her throat. "Oo would like some breakfast?"

Mrs. Weasley came into the kitchen as Harry reached for his second piece of toast, followed closely by Draco. The edge of a fresh bandage peeked out from beneath his sleeve. His right hand was clutching four sealed envelopes.

"The O.W.L.S.!" Hermione shrieked. "I forgot all about them!" She dropped her fork and reached for her envelope. Draco quickly passed two others to Harry and Ron before sitting down next to Harry, his own clutched in his hand.

"On three?" Hermione asked breathlessly, looking around the table. "One, two, three!"

Four sets of fingers ripped their envelopes open and nervously unfolded the papers inside. Harry gazed down at his, feeling quite satisfied. He had received five Exceptionals, and even an Outstanding in Defence Against the Dark Arts. He had failed both Divination and History of Magic; but he had expected as much. With a twinge he realized that he did not have the required mark to continue Potions. He glanced at Draco's paper next to him and gave a low whistle.

Ordinary Wizarding Level Results

Pass Grades:

Fail Grades:

Outstanding (O)

Poor (P)

Exceeds Expectations (E)

Dreadful (D)

Acceptable (A)

Troll (T)

DRACO LUCIUS MALFOY HAS ACHIEVED:

Ancient Runes

O

Astronomy

E

Care of Magical Creatures

A

Charms

O

Defence Against the Dark Arts

O

Herbology

E

History of Magic

E

Potions

O

Transfiguration

O

"Wow," he said, "I always thought Snape was just favouring you. You should seriously think about Ravenclaw."

"Well I'm not going to Hufflepuff," Draco smirked, some of his old confidence returning.

"You're actually disappointed, aren't you?" Ron's voice echoed from across the table. Harry looked at Hermione as she bit her lip.

"Nine Outstandings and one Exceeds Expectations in Defence Against the Dark Arts!" Ron exclaimed, motioning wildly to Hermione's paper. "And she's actually disappointed!"


	9. Dreams

After breakfast there was a tense silence as the five teenagers sat at the table, avoiding each other's eyes. Finally, Ginny suggested a trip to the orchard, and perhaps a friendly game of Quidditch. Relieved, the others followed her outside.

The situation in the orchard was no less awkward. Considering Ron's earlier outburst Harry was not eager to play Quidditch, and no one else had any ideas of how to spend their day. Eventually they stretched out in the sun, Harry, Ron and Ginny chatting lazily while Draco and Hermione read books. The hours passed slowly.

The sun was dipping down in the sky when Draco sighed and sat up.

"Listen," he said, his voice shattering the silence, "I owe all of you an explanation."

Ron sat up immediately, moving closer to Hermione's side. Ginny blinked once and then rolled over, her head in her hands. Harry moved to sit beside Draco.

"I know you all saw my arm this morning." Though Draco's voice sounded confident, he was shaking. "You need to know, I'm not one of them. Or at least- I don't want to be." He stopped and blinked back tears.

"Are you saying you don't believe all that stuff about purebloods anymore?" Ron asked suspiciously.

Draco looked down at his hands. "I don't know what I believe," he muttered. "I ran away, because I was scared. All I know is that I don't want to hurt anyone, and I don't want to answer to Him." He scratched at his arm absently.

Ron scowled. "How do we know you're telling the truth, Malfoy?"

"Because I believe him," Harry cut in. "And so does Dumbledore."

Ron's scowl deepened. Before he could say anything more Ginny cut in.

"Did it hurt? Getting the Mark?" she shrugged away the questioning glances. "I've always been curious."

Draco sighed and rubbed at his arm again. "Yeah," he answered, "more than anything I've ever felt. Even more than the Cruciatus curse. It hurts now too. Every time someone uses theirs it turns black and it burns." He glanced around the group and then pulled his sleeve up to show the bottom part of the grotesque mark. "Like this. Its supposed to summon me. The more I try to ignore it the more it hurts."

Silently Ginny stood up and paced away. Draco's arm fell to his side, hopelessness written across his face.

A moment later Harry heard footsteps behind him. He turned around to see Ginny, now with a handful of brooms, emerging from a small shed behind them. She walked back to the group.

"There's five of us," the red-haired girl observed. "How should we divide the teams?"

The next week was spent mostly in the orchard playing Quidditch. Harry and Draco were both quite good, and Ron and Ginny were coming along nicely. Hermione, however, was dreadful, and often watched the games with a book in hand. On the occasions that she was convinced to join in she warbled around the field gracelessly, generally missing the quaffle altogether.

It would almost have been a relaxing summer holiday if it hadn't been for the constant reports of disappearances and deaths. As Death Eaters wreaked havoc on the muggle world, those living in the Burrow quickly began to scan the papers anxiously every time the Dark Mark engraved on Draco's arm burned.

It was Thursday morning when Harry woke up with tears streaming down his face. With a shock he noticed Draco sitting up in bed, his knees pulled up to his chest. He also seemed to be crying.

"Draco-" Harry began softly.

"You were screaming." Draco's voice was muffled by his knees. "I didn't know if I should wake you or not." He looked up. "Was- was it Sirius?"

Harry nodded. "You?"

"My mother. And the Dark Lord. I dream about him most nights. It's the ones with her that..." his voice trailed off.

"I dream about him too," Harry whispered. "I think I usually sleep through it. But Sirius..."

Draco nodded in understanding. Both boys collapsed onto their beds and stared up at the ceiling.

The morning dawned cloudy and wet, squelching any hope of playing Quidditch. Instead the group settled around the living room to play one of the card games that Harry had taught to Draco. Ginny disappeared to her room, muttering something about writing a letter to Dean Thomas.

Ron slapped his card down.

"Uno." Draco called out from across the table. He smirked at Ron. "You have to pick up four cards."

"Not fair!" Ron protested. "I was going to say it!"

Draco's smirk widened. "That's the rule of the game."

Harry chuckled at Ron's frustrated face. "Sorry Ron, he's right."

Ron huffed as he picked up the cards. "You've all played this before, I'm still just learning!"

Hermione set down her card. "Uno!"

Harry shuffled the cards in his hand. He snuck a glance towards Draco. "Pick up two!"

Draco grinned as he pulled cards from the pile. "You're going to regret that," he quipped.

Just then they heard a knock on the door. Mrs. Weasley bustled past as Harry and Ron stood to see who it was.

"Remus, it's a pleasure to see you!"

"You as well, Molly," a soft voice replied. The figure at the door leaned in to whisper something that Harry couldn't hear.

Remus Lupin stepped into the living room dripping wet, his face more gaunt and his clothes more patched than ever. Smiling, he held out a hand.

"Harry! Ron, Hermione, it's good to see you all again. How has your summer been?" He turned towards the corner of the room, where a sudden movement had caught his eye. "Draco, it's a pleasure to see you. How have my brightest students been faring?"

Harry stepped up to shake his former professor's hand. "Professor Lupin! We've all been having a great time here."

Before anyone else could speak Mrs. Weasley had returned to the room and was ushering them upstairs. "Now, now, we're having a meeting of the Order down here in just a few minutes," she tutted as she rapped on Ginny's door. "I don't want any of you listening in. That means no extendable ears, Ginevra!"

Ginny glared at her mother from the open doorway and followed the others to Fred and George's room. Mrs. Weasley shut the door tightly on them just as another knock sounded from the front door.

"I hate to seem uninformed, but what's going on?" drawled Draco.

Hermione perched on the edge of an unopened box marked WWW. "The Order of the Phoenix, the group that fights Voldemort." Ron and Draco both winced at the name. "They're using this as their base, and they have a meeting today. Fred and George joined this year, but we're not allowed to yet because we're underage." There was a hint of remorse in her voice.

Draco frowned as he rubbed at his forearm. "Those are lovely principles." he said sarcastically. "I wish the Dark Lord thought the same way."

Harry pressed his ear to the door, motioning the others to be quiet. He frowned. "What is Snape still doing in the Order after everything that happened last year?"

Draco inhaled sharply. "Professor Snape?"

"Harry, we've been over this a thousand times. Dumbledore trusts him," Hermione answered.

Everyone's attention was drawn to Draco as he punched the wall. "Well, the Dark Lord trusts him too, so one of them is wrong!"

"He is a Death Eater?" Harry asked eagerly. Draco nodded. "I told you Hermione! We should go down there right now and-"

"Harry! We already knew that he goes to the meetings with the Death Eaters! He's spying for Dumbledore!"

"Hermione, what if he's spying for the Death Eaters?" Ron asked hotly. "He could be-"

Ron was interrupted by a sharp knock on the door. Mrs. Weasley's voice came from the other side.

"We're trying to have a meeting downstairs! Stop shouting or I will have to send you all to your rooms!"

"Sorry," Ginny mumbled back. The scowl on her face grew as her mother's footsteps faded away.

"I still say we can't trust him," Harry hissed.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Oh give it a break Harry. Come on, let's find something better to do."

Ginny pulled a cardboard box towards her. "I've been curious about these for a while. Fred and George are storing them here until they're ready for the shop. Let's see what's inside!" Harry noticed the mischievous smile playing at the edges of her lips and pulled a box toward himself.

"C'mon Draco, take a box," Ron goaded. "It's not like they're going to bite!"

Just at that moment there was a loud pop! And Hermione let out a muffled screech. She pulled something that looked like a telescope away from her face. A tiny fist hung from the end of it, bouncing wildly on a spring.

"It punched me!" She exclaimed, her hand moving up to cover her eye. "I squeezed it and it punched me!" As she pulled back her hand a large purple welt was forming.

"Let me see that," Draco said, pulling out his wand. "I'm pretty good at fixing bruises." He leaned towards Hermione's face.

"Draco!" Harry and Ron shouted at the same moment. Draco turned towards them with a confused expression.

"You can't do magic outside school!" Ron exclaimed. "Not unless you've been lying about your age!"

"Don't tell me your parents take that bit about underage magic seriously?" Draco scoffed.

"Don't yours?" Ginny asked incredulously.

"Of course not! The trace only really works for mu-" he glanced back towards Hermione and choked over his next word. "For muggleborns. It tracks location, not the person actually doing the magic. Harry would get caught at his house. Here no one would notice."

Ron had a glazed look in his eyes. "You mean, I could've been doing magic all this time and no one would've known?"

Hermione poked him in the side. "Don't even think about it! Your dad works for the ministry!"

"Besides," Harry said, "It's not exactly fun to sit in a trial wondering if they're going to let you go back to Hogwarts or not. Trust me."

"Still though..." Ginny said, a greedy look in her eye. "It would be fun to hex Fred and George. Or Phlegm." She grimaced at the name.

"Can I fix your eye or not?" Draco asked gruffly.

Hermione sighed. "I would love that Draco, but you really shouldn't. I'll wait until dinner time and ask Mrs. Weasley."


	10. A Conversation with Snape

By the time Mrs. Weasley called for dinner Harry was getting seriously worried about Hermione's eye. The small purple ring had darkened and grown to the point where she now resembled half a panda.

As the group trooped into the kitchen they were met with many stares. Harry glanced around the long table, taking in Mad-Eye Moody, Lupin, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Fred, George, and Bill Weasley, Fleur, and- he shuddered- Snape. All eyes were trained behind him at the blonde figure stepping through the door.

"Malfoy," Mad-Eye nodded as he stepped past in the direction of the door. "Nice to see you here." Any colour left in Draco's already-pale face drained.

Kingsley Shacklebolt and Snape followed Mad-Eye, thanking the Weasleys for their hospitality. As Snape reached Draco he paused.

"I would like a word with you, Malfoy, in the other room."

Draco followed him nervously. Harry watched as they walked away, then mumbled quickly, "Bathroom," before following them. He paused behind an open door as Snape turned.

"Draco, I am glad to see that you are faring well. Your mother has been quite worried about you."

Harry could just see Draco as he stood stiffly. "I'm not going back there. No matter what you say!"

"I am not here to convince you to do so. I wish only to convey a message. Your mother is well, and she misses you very much."

Draco's posture stayed stiff. "Thank you professor."

"I also wished to speak to you about the upcoming school year. Professor Dumbledore has informed me that you will be changing houses. I want to ensure you that, should you wish to, you are welcome to remain in my classes."

"Is that all professor?"

"One more thing. Neither the Dark Lord nor his servants will hear of your location from me. The safety of my students is of paramount importance." Harry heard Snape's robes rustle as he walked towards the door. The handle creaked as it was turned. "Oh, and Draco? Tell Potter that it's rude to listen at doors."

As the door shut Draco emerged from the room. "Harry."

"I wanted to make sure you were safe."

"Thanks." Draco wiped a hand over his forehead and fell back against the wall.

"It's been a tough day," Harry observed.

"I've been scared, ever since that dream…" He stared blankly ahead. "When Snape said he wanted to talk I thought he was going to say she's dead."

Harry wrapped his arm around Draco's shoulder.

"Is this what it's like," Draco's quiet voice broke the silence, "to have a friend?

Harry nodded and smiled widely.

George was smirking when Harry and Draco got back to the kitchen. Hermione was sitting in a chair, her eye more swollen than ever, while Mrs. Weasley looked perplexed. "How did you do it?" she asked her son angrily.

"Just a charm, mum, honest," George answered. "Fred's gone to find the antidote, it's the only thing that'll take it off."

There was a scurrying at the door and Fred burst in, a small container in his hand. He hurried over to Hermione and started dabbing it on her eye.

"Guess it's a good thing you didn't try healing her earlier," Harry smirked. Draco furrowed his eyebrows, then, with a shake of his head, poked Harry in the side.

"Ow!" Harry rubbed at the spot as he laughed. Draco's sense of humour had improved massively over the past few weeks.

Mrs. Weasley stood up when it became evident that the cream was working. "Dinner will be ready in just a few minutes," she declared. "Make sure that you're washed up and ready. Ginny, could you help me slice these carrots?"

Ginny huffed and looked pointedly at Draco as she picked up the knife. "It would be so much more efficient if I could use magic," she muttered under her breath.

From across the table Fred and George were glaring daggers at Draco. They passed something between their hands as the blonde boy stepped over to them.

"Fred, George," Draco began hesitantly, "I, um… Could I talk to you? Just for a moment." His cheeks turned bright red as the twins eyed him suspiciously.

"Sure," said Fred. "Let's just go out to the hall then."

Harry poked Draco as he walked past. "Don't take anything from them. Yell if you need help."

As the three boys disappeared from the kitchen Bill beckoned to Harry. "How has your summer been?"

"Really good. The Dursleys were awful as normal, but it was really nice having Draco around. They were more scared of him than of me."

Bill smiled. "I'm glad you've been enjoying yourself!" Before Harry knew it he was deep in conversation with Bill and Lupin.

As promised, Mrs. Weasley called everyone together for dinner a few minutes later. Harry smiled as Draco returned with Fred and George; their arms were clasped around him as the three laughed together. He knew that Draco must have told them about their inadvertent help in his escape from Malfoy Manor.

"Your book lists should be arriving tomorrow morning," Bill said between bites. "Dad and I both have the day off work, and the ministry is going to send cars to take all of us to Diagon Alley."

Ginny looked up. "Fantastic, I've been wanting to see Fred and George's shop!"

Fred smirked. "It really is pretty great, wouldn't you agree George?"

"Top notch. Best joke shop in all of London!"

Bill smiled. "There'll also be an auror coming along. Probably Kingsley. He'll take Harry and Draco first, since they both need to get into their vaults and Gringott's is a mess right now."

Harry grimaced at the idea of an auror escorting them through the streets of Diagon Alley. He really would rather go alone. Once he glanced over at Draco, though, he realized that it really would be best for them to be accompanied. Now the Death Eaters would be looking for both of them.

The owls arrived during breakfast; five of them, each carrying a sealed envelope. As Harry unfolded his a small silver pin fell into his hand.

"Look!" he exclaimed, holding it up,"I've been made captain of the Quidditch team!"

"That's brilliant Harry!" Hermione exclaimed. "That puts you equal with Prefects! You can use our special bathroom and everything!" Harry beamed with pride.

"Eat quickly boys," Mrs. Weasley urged Harry and Draco. "The car from the ministry will be here for you any minute."

It wasn't long before Harry and Draco were seated comfortably in the backseat of a Ministry car. Kingsley Shacklebolt was seated beside Harry, assigned to protect the two boys for the day.

"We'll visit Gringotts first," the Auror was saying. "I can get you in more quickly than the general public, but it could still be a wait of several hours." Harry grimaced. "We will meet with the Weasleys afterwards. There shouldn't be as much need for me to stay close after that."

Harry watched out the window as the Leaky Cauldron came into view. A large figure in a hideous, shaggy jacket came into view.

"Hagrid!" Harry cried as he scrambled out of the car. "I didn't know that you would be here!"

"Course I'm here Harry! Someone's got to keep an eye on all of you, can't expect Kingsley to manage it alone, can yeh?"

Harry laughed as the group moved through the pub. With a shock, he noticed that the bar, normally a popular location, was completely empty. Tom, the bartender, looked up eagerly as Hagrid approached.

"Sorry, Tom, nothin fer me today. Hogwart's business yeh know."

The group walked through the pub and stepped through the entrance to Diagon Alley. Expecting to see it bright and bustling as usual, Harry was taken aback to see many of the shops closed. Kingsley noticed his shocked glances.

"There's been a lot of disappearances in the last few weeks. Florean Fortescue, Ollivander. Lots of people have been packing up and leaving the country too."

Harry glanced at the empty shop windows as they passed. Most were covered with posters; wanted posters of witches and wizards cackling silently, safety reminders, and Ministry guidelines. Halfway down the street was a large picture of a witch with wild brown hair dancing madly under a banner that declared: Wanted. Extremely Dangerous. Suspected to be in Possession of a Wand. Harry glanced at Draco as they passed, but his face showed no recognition of his aunt.

Finally the group reached Gringotts. "Keep close together," Kingsley muttered as he led them up the stairs, past the long line of witches and wizards waiting to access their vaults.

The inside of the bank was ludicrously busy. Wizards and goblins bustled about everywhere, clutching money bags in their hands. Kingsley led them to a window behind which a goblin was scribbling madly on a piece of parchment.

"Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy for their vaults. This is official Auror business."

The goblin looked up with a scowl. "Keys?" Harry and Draco held them up. "That line there," the goblin motioned.

Harry looked at the indicated line. It wasn't long and mostly contained members of the Ministry. He followed as Kingsley stepped behind another man wearing Auror robes.

"Morning, Dwight," Kingsley greeted as Hagrid pushed in behind the boys. "How are things with Luc and the kids?"  
"Doing well. Peter just started walking on his own the other day!"

Harry's face fell at the name Peter. An ache awoke deep inside of him for his godfather Sirius. Why should the rat Peter Pettigrew get to live after betraying so many of his friends?

The line moved surprisingly quickly, and before Harry knew it he and Draco were settling into a cart behind Kingsley. Hagrid waited for them aboveground, as he did not fit into the cart with the others. Soon the cart was zooming down the track at a dizzying speed.

"Draco Malfoy," their goblin escort said as the cart pulled to a stop. "This way."

Harry recognized the corridor that they had stopped in; his vault was just around the corner. Unfolding himself from the cart he followed Draco and Kingsley as they stopped in front of a large door. Draco pulled the key from his pocket and inserted it into the ornate lock.

"Wow," Harry gasped as he saw the inside of the vault. It was brimming with gold; piles of it stretched to the ceiling. "I knew your family's rich, but this is incredible!"

Draco looked at him quizzically. "This is nothing compared to my parent's vault. Besides, didn't you inherit everything from Black? You might be surprised how much is in your own vault now."

Kingsley stepped between the boys and handed them each a small money bag. "These have been enlarged with undetectable extension charms. I suggest that you both take out as much as you can, as you may not have the opportunity to return again for some time."

Draco took the bag and disappeared into his vault. A few minutes later he returned, the small bag bulging. The party followed the goblin around a bend in the track, where Harry produced his own key and pulled open the door to his vault.

Draco was right; Harry was surprised to see how much had been added to his vault. He had never realized how wealthy Sirius had been. He stepped inside and quickly began scooping galleons into his bag. He added a handful each of Sickles and Knuts on top and pulled it closed.

Back outside Kingsley stopped to check the time.

"The Weasleys won't be here for another hour," he remarked. "Is there anything special that you need to buy that the others might not require?" he looked at Draco.

"I need everything," Draco's eyebrows drew close together. "I don't have any school robes, or even a trunk or cauldron."

An hour later Harry and Draco were weaving through the maze of temporary stalls that lined Diagon Alley selling protective amulets and enchantments. Kingsley followed close behind, levitating a trunk containing Draco's new cauldron and potions ingredients. Hagrid trailed behind, apologizing heartedly as he bumped into vendors in the crowded street.


	11. Summer's End

A flash of red caught Harry's attention. Ginny. As she turned and saw him something gripped at his heart; a feeling that he didn't understand soared through him at the sight of her bright hair, her brown eyes sparkling in the sun. He gulped as she rushed towards him.

"Harry, there you are!"

"Yeah, right here, just waiting for you." He resisted the urge to fling his arms around her as Hermione and Ron rushed up. Bill and Mr. Weasley stood close behind.

Kingsley gave a gentle cough. "I'll send this ahead to the Weasley's," he indicated the trunk as he gave a brilliant flick of his wand. "You five are free to continue your shopping, as long as you stay within sight of one of us at all times." He indicated himself, Hagrid, and the two Weasley men.

"Brilliant," declared Ron. "Where should we go first?"

Soon the group found themselves squeezing into Madam Malkin's Robes for all Occasions as Hagrid waited outside. Hermione browsed dress robes as Draco was fitted for his new school robes.

"This is quite lovely, don't you think?" Ginny held a set of deep blue robes up to herself. Harry found himself fighting a sudden urge to buy it for her.

"That would look fantastic on you. I'm sure Dean would love it." Hermione agreed teasingly. "I've always fancied purple myself. Especially lilac." She pulled out a shimmering silver robe. "Ooh, I think I'll have to try this on!"

"Ow!" Draco exclaimed from across the store. Harry peered around a rack to see what had happened. "Be careful with those pins!" He rubbed his left arm as Madam Malkin apologized. Gently, she began repinning the sleeve.

Finally they trouped out of the store clutching their packages. Hermione had bought a lovely new set of dress robes. Harry, Ron and Ginny each had one new set of plain black work robes, and Draco carried four matching sets. They passed their packages off to Hagrid and headed to Flourish and Blott's for their new textbooks.

A good many more packages had been added to the ones Hagrid was carrying when the group was finished with their shopping. Fred and George's shop had been simply astounding, filled with every joke item imaginable. In a special back room the twins had shown Harry their stash of muggle magic tricks, as well as items imbued with protection charms that they were developing for the Ministry. Harry had been impressed at their proficiency with spells. By the time they returned to the Burrow it was already dark.

Harry spent the last weeks of the summer in a happy bliss, surrounded by his closest friends and his favourite activities. The Burrow became a shelter from the atrocities surrounding them, a bright hideaway in an otherwise dark world. Now that he had been away from Malfoy Manor for some time Draco was more relaxed than ever, and seemed happy, truly happy, to enjoy his time with the Weasleys, Harry and Hermione. Ron had warmed up considerably to the blond boy and had even begun to joke with him, finding that they weren't quite so different as they had previously thought. As Draco explained the Muggle contraptions that Harry had shown him Ron whistled in amusement. Harry and Hermione laughed at the two boys, astounded by simple things like microwaves and dishwashers. Ron seemed particularly excited at the idea of a movie, and begged his parents to let Harry take him to one.

The cuts on Draco's arm were slow to heal, but thanks to the ministrations of Mrs. Weasley they began to improve, scars forming as a reminder of what had happened. His Mark continued to burn and hurt regularly.

Harry continued to have nightmares. Most nights he would jerk awake, sweat pouring down his face as the blankets twisted viciously around him. From across the room he often heard Draco sobbing into his pillow, awoken by his own unpleasant dreams.

The morning of September first was a whirlwind of preparations in the Weasley home. With five of its inhabitants returning to school there was a large pile of trunks waiting at the door when the Ministry cars arrived to escort them safely to King's Cross. Mr. Weasley had briefed Harry and Draco the night before about the security measures that would be put into place for them on their journey to school. In addition to providing cars, the Ministry was sending a team of aurors to see the boys safely onto the Hogwarts Express and to deal with any situations that arose due to either of their presence. Harry was glad to know that, for once, he was not the main reason for this protection. The Ministry suspected that some of the Death Eaters who had children at Hogwarts might try to attack Draco as he boarded the train.

Even with its extending charm the car was crowded as Harry, Hermione, Ron, Draco, Ginny and Bill slid in. A second car carried Mr. and Mrs. Weasley as well as the two aurors. Even with the five trunks divided between the cars Harry had to hold Hedwig's cage on his lap, a difficult feat when Hermione's ginger cat Crookshanks was prowling around their laps.

After a tense drive the two cars pulled up to King's Cross Station. The aurors positioned themselves around Harry and Draco as the trunks were unloaded and stacked onto carts. Finally, with a sigh and a glance at her wristwatch (which read quarter to 11), Mrs. Weasley led the way through the barrier onto Platform 9 ¾.

The station was bustling as Harry stepped through with an auror, followed closely by Draco and the second escort. After taking a moment to say goodbye to the Weasleys the boys were hurried onto the train and into an empty compartment. Ron and Hermione followed, dragging their trunks, before dashing off to the prefect's car. Ginny wandered off in search of Dean as the train pulled away from the station.

Draco glanced warily down the hall before shutting the compartment window and settling into a seat.

Harry ran a hand through his wild hair. "Well, guess I won't be convincing anyone that I'm not the chosen one," he laughed nervously.

"At least people will be looking up to you. A quarter of the school is going to be out to get me all year."

Harry looked at Draco. For the first time he noticed the bags under the pale boy's eyes and the gaunt expression on his face. "You know you'll be safe right? Dumbledore won't let anything happen to you."

"Dumbledore doesn't know everything that happens at Hogwarts," Draco answered in a tired voice. "If anyone can get to me it'll be the Slytherins."

Harry thought for a moment. "Have you decided which house you're going to join yet? It's just- I mean, you could join Gryffindor. Ron and I would be happy to have you, and Neville's really great. Dean and Seamus can be tossers but we mostly ignore them. None of us would let anything happen to you."

Draco snorted and looked away. "I'm not brave. Besides, the others would never accept me. Have you forgotten what my aunt did to Longbottom's parents? I'm sure he hasn't."

There was a sudden knock on the door, followed by a familiar voice. "Harry, are you in there?"

Grinning widely, Harry threw open the door. Right on cue, Neville tramped in, followed closely by Luna Lovegood.

"Hello Harry!" the blond girl greeted. "It's good to see you. I see your head is full of nargles." She turned to the other occupant of the compartment. "Oh, hello Draco. Surprise to see you here. Have a good summer?"

Draco blanched at the sudden interaction. Neville stood frozen to the spot, his mouth hanging open as he stared towards the unexpected visitor.

"Neville," Harry said, forcing him to look away from Draco. "It's good to see you."

Neville stared blankly at Harry. "What is he doing here?" he stabbed a finger towards Draco.

"Draco's been staying with me and the Weasleys for the summer. He's-"

Ignoring Harry, Neville pulled his wand from his pocket. "If you hurt any of my friends-" he gestured menacingly towards Draco.

Draco stared at Neville defiantly for a moment before lowering his head and holding out his hands. "Listen, Longbottom, I'm sorry. I know what my family has done to yours, and I know what I've done to you. I deserve whatever you give me."

Neville's wand wavered for a moment as he glanced between Harry and Draco. "Did Malfoy just apologize to me?" He lowered his wand to his side.

Draco seized the opportunity and launched into a quick explanation of the previous months. Harry noticed that he failed to mention his Dark Mark.

Satisfied by the boy's explanation, Luna sat in the seat beside him. She reached into the bag she was carrying to pull out a copy of the Quibbler. "It was really brave of you to apologize."

Harry gave Draco a pointed look as Neville settled in across from Luna.

Ron and Hermione had just returned when a Hufflepuff girl knocked at the door. "Messages from Professor Slughorn!"

Harry opened the door and took three pieces of parchment from the girl's hand.

"Neville, Draco, there are for you. He handed the papers around before unfolding his own.

Harry

I would be delighted if you would join me for a bit of lunch in compartment C.

Sincerely,

Professor H.E.F. Slughorn

"Who is Slughorn?" Neville asked.

"New professor," Harry answered. "We went with Dumbledore to meet him over the summer. What do you think he wants?"

Draco snorted. "Probably to 'collect' us into his little club. Before you know it we'll be pictures on his mantle."

Harry laughed at the memory of their first meeting with the strange man. "We should probably go anyways. Don't want to make him mad at us before classes even start." He looked at Neville.

"Fine," Draco huffed. "But if he invited the three of us I bet there'll be others too. I'm not responsible for anything that happens if there's other Slytherins."

"That's fair," Ron cut in.

Harry rolled his eyes. "You're going to have to see them eventually. Might as well be now."

The three boys attracted a lot of attention in the corridors. Students stopped in the halls, whispering behind their hands as Harry approached. Others peeked out of compartments, gesturing madly to their friends to watch as they walked by.

When they arrived at Compartment C they saw that there had indeed been others invited. Harry saw Ginny first; she was sitting crammed into a corner nearly behind the large man who had summoned them. Casting his eyes around he saw three other boys.

"Harry, pleasure to see you!" Slughorn's voice boomed out. He gestured around the compartment. "Ah, I see that you have brought Mr. Longbottom and Mr. Malfoy with you. Please, gentlemen, take a seat."

Harry's eyes rested on a dark Slytherin boy in the back. As Draco entered the compartment the boy stood.

"Zabini," Draco greeted coolly.

"Surprising to see you here," Zabini spat back. "Get tired of living with the muggles? Filthy blood traitor."

Draco's wand was in his hand in an instant. Harry grabbed his arm before he could raise it. Slughorn made a strangled noise in his throat.

"Oh look, your little friend's going to stop you." Zabini pulled his own wand slowly from his sleeve. "What are you going to do now?"

Suddenly Zabini dropped his wand and pulled his fingers up to his nose. A panicked expression spread over his face.

"Whab ib thib?" he shouted. "Wha's habbening?" As he pulled his fingers away something came flying out of his nose. A moment later a second shape followed. As the shapes soared upwards they spread out, taking the form of bats. Harry glanced at Ginny and chuckled.

"Ah, the bat bogey hex," Professor Slughorn said with a small smile. "I invited this young lady after I saw her perform it on a particularly vexing young man. I am afraid, Mr. Zabini, that I shall have to ask you to leave until you are quite finished with expelling bats from your nose."

Zabini clutched at his nose as he scrambled quickly out of the apartment. Draco gave him a sharp glare as he pulled the door open. "You're lucky she got to you before me."

The door clicked shut and Harry, Neville and Draco settled into the compartment. Soon Slughorn was passing around lunch items (brought from home; he found that the candy available from the trolley didn't agree with his stomach) and interrogating his guests about their family connections and extraordinary talents. It wasn't until the sky outside was quite dark that he noticed the time and sent the students to change into their school robes.

As the train pulled to a stop Harry and Draco leapt off, followed closely by Neville and Luna. Earlier that week Draco had received a letter from Professor Dumbledore instructing him to take the first possible carriage to the school so that they could speak about his House choice before the Welcoming Feast.

"The Thestrals look particularly happy today," Luna said as the carriage started it's bumpy journey. "I wonder if they remember us from last year?"

Draco glanced towards the front of the carriage. "Those horse things pull the carriages?" he asked in astonishment.

"Weren't you listening in Care of Magical Creatures last year?" Harry said.

"Not really. I was only half sure they were even real."

"They're definitely real," Neville mumbled. "All the rest of us can see them."

The rest of the trip to the castle was silent.


	12. A New House

Harry sat between Ron and Hermione at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall. As soon as they had entered the castle Draco had been pulled aside by Professor Dumbledore. Neither had returned.

It wasn't until after the Sorting Ceremony (the Sorting Hat sang a rather short song this year, reminding students of the importance of the family they would form at Hogwarts) that Dumbledore strode back to his seat. Harry watched as Draco followed him, grasping something in his hand. Seeing Harry's gaze, he waved the item in the air. A Ravenclaw tie. Beaming, the blonde boy sat next to Luna at the Ravenclaw table. Dumbledore stood to make his customary start of term announcement.

"Greetings students old and new," the Headmaster began. "As the new term starts there are several things that I find myself wanting to tell you. First of all, it falls to me to introduce our newest professor, who is actually rather an old professor. Horace Slughorn will be coming out of retirement for this year in order to return to his post as Potions Master." Harry gasped. "As such, Professor Snape will now be taking the position left open in Defence Against the Dark Arts."

"I thought Slughorn was teaching Defence!" Ron exclaimed.

"So did I," Harry nodded in agreement. "How can Dumbledore give it to Snape when he's a Death Eater?"

Dumbledore continued, unphased by the flurry of whispers that had sprung up. "We welcome all of our staff, new and old, as they return to provide the excellent instruction that we have learned to expect from them. Now, before the feast, I have a reminder for all of the students of Hogwarts. These are troubled times; none of us can deny that. Evil has arisen and surrounds us on every side. But you must never lose hope. For while hope lives on, even in the tiniest flicker in your heart, there is a chance. Hope is available to every student at Hogwarts, no matter their family, their past or their present situation. As darkness falls around us I wish for each of you to discover hope and to find it within yourself to choose it." The Headmaster settled into his chair as applause rang through the Hall.

Dinner was a sight to behold. Harry downed gallons of pumpkin juice as he stuffed himself full of rolls, roast, baked potatoes, stewed carrots, and mounds of treacle tart. As the feast disappeared from the table Professor McGonagall began her walk down the long table, distributing schedules. She saved the sixth years for last, as theirs would be the most complex.

Finally Professor McGonagall reached the sixth years. She filled out schedules for Dean, Seamus, Neville, and the girls in Hermione's dorm before turning to Harry, Ron and Hermione. "If you three could follow me for a moment, we will be working out your schedules with Professor Flitwick."

Harry, Ron and Hermione exchanged confused looks as they followed their Head of House to where Professor Flitwick was standing with Draco and Luna.

"Ah, there you are," Professor Flitwick said. "Now, Minerva, it seems that the schedules should align easily enough. Mr. Malfoy will be taking several classes that I believe Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley are not, but Miss Granger will be."

Professor McGonagall nodded. "Then I leave these students in your capable hands. Please send them to bed when they are finished." She turned and headed towards the door of the Great Hall.

Harry gave Flitwick a confused look. "What did you mean about the schedules?"

"I understand that Mr. Malfoy has been staying with the three of you for a good deal of the summer. Professor Dumbledore has requested that we align his schedule with yours as much as possible. In light of the circumstances it seems a prudent course of action."

Harry saw Draco shift awkwardly as Professor Flitwick laid out four blank timetables. "Now your base courses will be easy enough. Shall I assume that you are all continuing in Transfiguration, Charms, Defence Against the Dark Arts, and Herbology?" The four students nodded and saw the classes appear on their timetables. "Now, Mr. Weasley and Mr. Potter, will you be continuing any other courses?"

Harry and Ron glanced at each other and shook their heads, feeling guilty that they would not be returning to Care of Magical Creatures. Their timetables seemed quite empty.

"Then we will move onto Mr. Malfoy and Miss Granger. I believe that both of you are interested in taking Potions, Ancient Runes, and Arithmancy?" He tapped each schedule in turn. "Any others?"

Hermione asked to have Astronomy and History of Magic added to her schedule. Draco decided to drop both courses. Professor Flitwick handed over the completed schedules.

"Now, I am afraid that it is quite time for bed," he said as he looked around at the assembled students. Luna still stood next to Draco. "Mr. Malfoy, if you will follow me, I will show you the way to Ravenclaw tower."

Draco hesitated. "Actually, Professor, I would really like to talk to my friends for a moment, if it's possible."

Professor Flitwick nodded in understanding and glanced at Luna. "I'm sure that Miss Lovegood is more than capable of showing you the way. I will be waiting when you arrive. Don't be too long."

Harry smiled at Draco as Professor Flitwick left the Great Hall. "Ravenclaw! Good choice. You can come see us all the time with Luna."

Draco smiled tightly. "I know you wanted me to pick Gryffindor. And really, I thought about it. You've all been so nice to me when I didn't deserve it. But I don't belong there." His smile became a smirk. " And besides, I don't want to have to explain myself over and over as each one of you pulls out your wand and threatens me."

Harry chuckled. "We'll miss you Draco. Believe it or not I'll even miss sharing a room with you. But you'll always be welcome in Gryffindor, and it looks like we'll have plenty of classes together. If anything, your OWLS proved that you belong there."

The group walked together as far as they could before Draco and Luna had to turn away towards Ravenclaw tower.

Harry and Ron burst into the Potions classroom, breathing hard from their run. Professor Slughorn gave them a bemused look.

"Running late boys? No worries. Pick a seat and pull out your books."

Harry glanced around the room. Only ten other students had made it into the Potions NEWT. Hermione and Draco were sitting with a Hufflepuff boy, four Ravenclaws were sitting in a small cluster at the front, and three Slytherins were in the back glaring at Draco.

"I'm afraid we don't have books sir," Ron said. "We only just found out that we could take the class now."

"No problem. There are some old books in the cupboard. You can use those until you order new ones."

Harry settled into his seat as Ron went to get the books. With a grimace, Harry noticed that the one his friend handed to him was old and tattered.

"Why do you get the nice book?"

"Because I'm the one who grabbed them," Ron muttered under his breath.

"But this one's full of scribbles!"

Draco glanced at Harry's defaced book. "Does it say who it belonged to? Maybe the scribbles are useful."

Harry shrugged and turned to the front.

 **This book belongs to the Half-Blood Prince**

was written in the same flowing script as the rest of the writing in the book.

"Well that clears things up," Ron snorted in amusement. Harry turned back to the page they had been working from just as a Sopophorous bean whizzed past his nose.

"Sorry Harry," Hermione gasped as she flung herself after it. "It keeps flying away when I try to cut it!"  
Harry gazed at one of the strange annotations in his book. "Try crushing it with the flat of your blade," he said, performing the maneuver on his own bean "Whoever this Prince is says that it releases the juices better."

Hermione glared at Harry. "I will follow the instructions, thank you!" She stabbed her blade through the bean.

By the end of the class Harry was smiling. He smirked at Hermione as Professor Slughorn handed him the vial of Felix Felicis promised to any person who could brew the potion correctly. After his dismal failure at nonverbal spells in Defence Against the Dark Arts that morning, he was pleased to have something to show for the day's efforts.

The term passed by in a lazy sort of way. Draco had the password to the Gryffindor common room (Professor McGonagall had given a lecture to the Gryffindor students making it very clear that they were to accept him without a fight) and Hermione had become quite good at answering the riddles to Ravenclaw tower, so that they saw quite a bit of each other. Harry had managed to get detention with Snape almost immediately, but it had been rescheduled to make way for the first of what Dumbledore promised would be many private lessons with the Headmaster himself.

It was the second of these lessons that they were discussing in Herbology on a Tuesday morning in October.

"Dumbledore just set his wardrobe on fire?" Ron nearly shouted in amazement. Harry shushed him and glanced around to see if anyone else had heard. Dumbledore had given him explicit instructions to only share the contents of these lessons with Ron, Hermione, and Draco.

"Muffliato," Draco muttered, casting a useful spell that they had found in Harry's Potions textbook. "Why is Dumbledore showing you these memories Harry?"

"I'm not really sure," Harry admitted. "But when I left, I recognized the ring. The one that Marvolo Gaunt was so proud of in the first memories. It's in Dumbledore's office, but it's cracked and broken now."

A strange look flickered across Draco's face. "You don't think that has anything to do with his hand?"

"Shh!" Hermione hissed "And really Draco, you shouldn't be using the spells out of that book. Not until we know more about it!" she shot him a dirty look. The more that the boys had pored over the Half-Blood Prince's book the more unhappy she had become about their discoveries. "What if there are things we don't know how to control in it?"

Draco rolled his eyes at her. "You're a Gryffindor, you're supposed to be adventurous!" he snapped.

Ron chimed in. "And besides, we've tested all the spells before we use them. They're safe Hermione. Some are even fun!" His eyes twinkled with mischief.

Just at that moment Professor Sprout walked by, eyeing the group critically. Harry scrunched up his face and attacked the Snargaluff plant in front of him, reaching desperately for a pod as the others beat it back.


	13. Parties and Chocolates

It wasn't long after the Snargaluff pods that Professor Slughorn announced his Christmas party. All of his favourite students were invited, which by this point comprised a rather lengthy list. Harry had managed to avoid the "Slug Club" parties since the Hogwarts Express, but this time was unhappy to find himself without an excuse as the event approached.

"You need to ask someone soon," Hermione was admonishing him. "Don't you see the girls looking at you? They're all hoping you'll ask them so that they can go with the Chosen One."

Harry grinned in amusement. "I've never been popular like this before."

"Watch yourself, Harry. Do you see that girl over there? That's Romilda Vane. I heard her talking to Padma Patil the other day about slipping you a love potion. Just- don't eat or drink anything unless you know no one else has touched it, alright?"

Harry nodded in agreement. "What about you? Who are you going with?"

"Oh," Hermione mumbled. "I meant to ask Ron, but since the Quidditch game…" Harry nodded in understanding. After the Gryffindor team had beat Slytherin Ron had snogged Lavender Brown in the common room. Now the two were dating.

"You know, I don't think Draco has anyone yet. Maybe you could go with him? Then that's both of you sorted."

Hermione brightened at the suggestion. "Harry, that's a brilliant idea! I'll ask him about it in Ancient Runes. But what about you?"

Harry smiled. "Actually, I have an idea."

Slughorn's Christmas party was barely tolerable. Draco had gratefully agreed to go with Hermione, and Luna was happy to be Harry's date for the evening. Slughorn had insisted on dragging the four students around the room, introducing them as his favourites to the many other guests he had gathered for the occasion. Harry had already pulled Luna away from a vampire with a hungry look in his eyes and stopped Draco from another explosive argument with Blaise Zabini when Slughorn dragged the two boys up to Rufus Scrimgeour, the Minister for Magic.

"Rufus, have you met these two fine young men?" Slughorn asked, a note of pride in his voice. "Two of the best in their year, in fact, in the school! I've rarely come across minds as bright as these. Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy, Rufus Scrimgeour!"

Harry glanced around distractedly, searching for Hermione and Luna. Finally he spotted them, deep in conversation with Professor Trelawny. He started to move towards them, stopping abruptly when he felt a hand close around his arm.

"Ah yes, I've heard a great deal about these two," Scrimgeour said as he held onto Harry's arm. "In fact, I've been meaning to speak to them. Mr. Potter, Mr. Malfoy, would you mind coming with me for a moment?" He followed Harry's gaze towards the two girls. "I promise to return you to your lovely dates shortly."

Draco shrugged as he followed Scrimgeour into the hallway. Harry trailed behind, a worried feeling settling deep in his stomach.

"I've wanted to meet you for a long time, Harry," Scrimgeour said as he stepped into an empty classroom. "A very long time indeed. But Dumbledore has kept you close to him all along." He turned his gaze on Draco. "You as well my boy. I've been intending to speak to you ever since I heard the news of your choice this summer, but I'm afraid that this is the first chance I've had."

Harry eyed the minister suspiciously. Something about this conversation, alone in a dark, empty room, did not feel right. "What did you want to talk to us about?"

"Straight to the point." A smile played on the edge of the minister's mouth. "I appreciate a man who understands the importance of efficiency. Well, my boys, here is where we stand. These are difficult times for all of us. People are feeling discouraged and afraid. And they can't be blamed. Hope is hard to find in situations like these." He paused and surveyed the boys.

"Your point?" Draco drawled. Harry recognized his tone of false confidence.

"A small ray of hope has at last fallen upon us." Scrimgeour stared deeply at Harry. "Rumours abound that you are the Chosen One. Am I right in believing that you have discussed this with Dumbledore?" Harry nodded his head curtly and the Minister turned his attention to Draco. "And you, the Boy Who Escaped. Together you are the hope of the wizarding world. The hope that You-Know-Who can be defeated once again, and the hope that we can all escape his influence." He took a breath and continued quickly. "The Ministry wants to share that hope. It would mean a great deal to the wizarding community if you would stand beside us in this war."

A suspicious look crossed Draco's face as Harry contemplated this idea. "What exactly are you asking us to do?" Harry asked.

"Nothing burdensome, I assure you. The Ministry most certainly does not wish to interfere with your studies. Just that you would drop by once in awhile, and that, if you should be asked, you would declare your support for the Ministry. Perhaps a short article in the Prophet in the near future as well."

"And what if I don't support the Ministry?" Draco asked. "What if my beliefs never changed? What if I still think that Mudbloods are beneath the rest of us, but don't have the guts to actually hurt anyone?" A look of alarm passed over Scrimgeour's face.

"Support the Ministry?" Harry blurted out. "Didn't I hear that Stan Shunpike had been taken into custody? Is he still being held? Has the Ministry actually done anything to find out if he's guilty, or is he being held completely on suspicion?" He turned to Draco. "Is Stan Shunpike a Death Eater?"

Draco shook his head as a mirthless laugh escaped his lips. "Of course not. Never has been, never will be. I doubt they'd even Imperius him."

Harry looked back at at Scrimgeour. "See? Was that so hard?"

The minister took a step back. "I'm afraid that the Ministry must make difficult decisions at times, decisions that you may find it difficult to understand."

"I think we understand you perfectly." Draco's voice was icy. "And neither of us is interested in being your poster boy." Harry nodded in agreement.

Scrimgeour screwed his face into a look of contempt. "You would deny the entire Wizarding community hope out of your own selfishness?"

"No. But I won't pretend to support anyone who hurts innocent people." Harry looked expectantly at Draco.

"I would be more likely to support the Ministry if I actually was a Death Eater," Draco said with a shrug. "They have spies everywhere. For me to go there would practically be suicide."

"A regretful choice, I'm afraid," Scrimgeour said, his eyes cold. "You could make a true difference to the people, and yet you choose not to."

"No," said Harry, turning towards the door, "We choose not to be used."

Luna and Hermione were standing near the door when Harry and Draco returned to the party.

"Where were you?" Hermione asked, concern written across her face.

"The Minister wanted a word with us," Harry answered in a half-whisper. "He wants us to be his mascots. He didn't like our answer much."

"My father says the Wrackspurts have been whispering to him," Luna said. "He's not the man he once was."

Draco sighed. "I don't know about Wrackspurts, but he has been listening to Death Eaters. They've been in the Ministry for ages. I gave Dumbledore all the names I know but I'm sure there's others."

Hermione glanced around at the party. "Let's get out of here," she said. "I'm tired, and Cormac McLaggen won't leave me alone. As soon as you two disappeared he came over and tried to pull me behind a curtain to snog him."

Harry felt his blood boil at this. "Where is he? That disgusting git!" Draco's face twisted into an expression that was equal parts anger and chagrin.

Hermione sighed. "I knew I shouldn't have told you. Come on, let's just leave." She grabbed one arm of each boy and hauled them out the door.

Luna stifled a yawn as they walked down the hall. "It's later than I thought," she mused. "I think I'm going to head to bed."

Draco glanced at his watch. "I'll come with you." He turned to Hermione and gently grasped her hand, the picture of dignity. "Thank you for accompanying me tonight. I had a lovely time."

Hermione smiled. "I'm glad that we could go together. My only other plan was to ask McLaggen, and clearly that would have been an awful choice." Her smile turned to a grimace.

Harry told Hermione about their conversation with Scrimgeour as they walked back to Gryffindor tower.

"You don't think he was threatening you?" she asked as the Fat Lady came into view.

Harry paused for a second. "I don't think so. He was just angry that we wouldn't do what he wanted."

Hermione said the password and the portrait swung open. The common room was still fairly busy as students spent their final night together before heading home for the holidays. Hermione spotted Lavender sitting on Ron's lap by the fire and made a quick excuse to disappear to her room.

Harry was headed towards the stairs to the boys' dormitories, eager to change out of his dress robes, when he heard a voice call his name. He turned around to see the girl Hermione had called Romilda Vane holding something out to him.

"These are for you, Harry," she twittered. "I'm going home for the holidays, but I'm not leaving until the day after tomorrow. What about you?"  
Harry took the box of chocolates that she was shoving into his chest. "I'm staying here," he answered awkwardly.

Romilda beamed at him. "Well, Merry Christmas! Enjoy the chocolates!"

Harry muttered out a quick thanks and hurried up the stairs. He looked at the box in his hands, remembering Hermione's warning about love potions from the week before. He threw the box into the bottom of his trunk.


	14. An Unusual Package

The next afternoon marked the departure of the Hogwarts Express for the holidays. Except for Harry and Romilda, whose parents would be picking her up in Hogsmeade the next day, Gryffindor Tower was empty. A few Ravenclaws stayed, including Draco. The Order had made the decision to keep Harry and Draco at school over the holidays for the sake of safety. Though the Death Eaters seemed to be leaving Harry for Voldemort himself, it was unlikely that they would have any reservations about attacking Draco on the train or at the station.

With so few students staying Professor McGonagall was happy to give Draco permission to move temporarily into Harry's dormitory. He settled happily into Ron's bed.

The sun was streaming through the window when Harry woke up on Christmas day. He looked eagerly at the end of his bed, where a stack of gifts was waiting for him.

Harry had opened a pair of hand-knitted socks from Dobby, a used toothbrush from the Dursleys, and was just biting into Mrs. Weasley's nut brittle when Draco woke up. He glanced groggily at Harry before shuffling to the end of his bed and grasping a lumpy package.

"What is this?" Harry paused, a pair of mittens from Hermione still half-wrapped in his hands. Draco was holding up a deep blue knitted sweater with a grey letter D across the front.

"That's from Mrs. Weasley," Harry answered with a smile. He held up a lumpy package that he assumed was his own. "She makes them for all of her kids."

Draco traced his fingers along the letter knitted into the sweater, and then pulled it over his head. He turned back towards the pile of presents at his feet, but not before Harry saw him brush a tear away from his cheek.

Harry pulled open the rest of his presents. He received a large Chudley Cannons poster from Ron, a box full of pranks from Fred and George (so new they weren't available at the store yet!), a large amount of candy from Draco, and some chocolates from Lupin.

Draco looked content as he surveyed the presents around him. He had also received a pair of mittens from Hermione, as well as chocolate from Lupin. Harry had given him a book of interviews with famous Seekers, and Ron had sent him some candy. Fred and George had sent him a box full of Puking Pastilles and Nosebleed Nougats, accompanied by a note saying 'For escaping boring classes and annoying Dark Lords.' He had laughed at that.

Most interesting was a small gift that did not come with a note. It was wrapped in plain brown paper, with no marking to tell where it had come from. Draco frowned and shook it.

"I don't know if I should open this," he muttered. "What if it's some kind of trick?"

Harry nodded in agreement. "It does seem suspicious. Maybe we should take it to Professor McGonagall."

Professor McGonagall wasn't in her office so Draco took the suspicious box to lunch, where they found her sitting at the staff table.

"Mr. Potter, Mr. Malfoy," she called as they entered the room. "It is nice for you to make an appearance today. I noticed that you missed breakfast." Despite her words a hint of a smile played on her lips.

"Professor, could we speak to you for a moment?" Harry asked.

"Of course." Professor McGonagall followed them into the empty entrance hall. "What is it, boys?"

Draco held the box out to her. "This came with my Christmas gifts. It isn't labelled. I thought it would be best to make sure that it isn't anything dangerous before opening it."

"A very prudent choice." She took the box from him and shook it gently before pulling out her wand. She muttered several spells before handing the box back. "As far as I can tell there are no concealed charms, hexes, or curses on this. In the interest of safety you should open it here."

Draco carefully pulled off the wrapping and opened the box. A pair of cufflinks glittered inside.

Harry gasped. "Who could have sent you cufflinks?" Draco didn't answer. Harry looked at his face and was surprised to see that he was blinking back tears. "Draco? Are you alright?"

Professor Mcgonagall pointed her wand at the open box and repeated some of her spells. Finally she withdrew it.

"They are quite safe, Draco," she said gently. "It would seem that they were truly sent to you as a gift."

Draco gently pulled the cufflinks out of the box. He examined them as he twisted them in his hands. "My mother," he said softly. "She always gives me cufflinks for Christmas."

Suddenly Harry understood the expression on his face. "Why don't you change into something you can wear them with?" He gestured at Mrs. Weasley's sweater.

Draco looked up as he dropped the cufflinks back into their box. He shook his head. "No. I like the sweater. Maybe for dinner." He smiled, a real smile that lit up his face, and rubbed his hands down the sweater. "I've never had anything personal like this before. I can barely believe it's real."

For Christmas dinner that night the house tables were moved away and replaced by one smaller table. The students and professors remaining at Hogwarts celebrated well into the night.

Hermione returned to school already prepared with timetables for revision. She forced one onto Harry and was pleasantly surprised when Draco readily accepted one. She did not give one to Ron. They had barely spoken since the night that he had snogged Lavender in the common room.

After their first Apparition lesson Harry pulled his friends into an empty classroom to tell them the results of his latest lesson with Dumbledore. Hermione stood as far as she could from Ron, clearly unhappy to be forced into the same room as him. Draco pursed his lips as Harry explained the need to get an unaltered version of one of Professor Slughorn's memories.

"I've heard of Horcruxes before," he said. "There was a book about them in the Manor library. They're really dark magic. My father was furious when he found out I'd read it."

"What are they?" Harry asked.

"A horcrux is when a wizard splits his soul and hides a piece of it in something else."

Hermione gasped. "What do you have to do to split your soul?"

Draco frowned. "Kill someone. There's some incantation too, my father caught me before I could get that far. They're almost impossible to destroy, but if a wizard has one he can't be killed, not unless his horcrux is destroyed too."

"That must be how Voldemort survived!" Ron blurted out. "He must have a Horcrux somewhere!"

"Of course he does," Hermione said irritably. "But I'm sure Dumbledore already knows that. The real question is, what else was in Slughorn's memory that you need to know?"

"I guess I'll have to find out," Harry answered. "But if even Dumbledore couldn't get it from him, how am I supposed to?"  
"You could ask him after class," Ron suggested. "You're his favourite. Use the Half-Blood Prince to do something really great, then ask about Horcruxes and see what he says."

Draco glared contemptuously at Ron. "That's the most stupid, Gryffindor thing I've ever heard!"

"Well, do you have any better ideas?" Ron challenged.

Draco shook his head. "You're going to need to be cunning for this, Harry. I might be in Ravenclaw now but I still have all the Slytherin traits. We'll figure something out. Just don't be stupid and ask him straight out, that'll put him on his guard."

Hermione scowled. "Speaking of the Half-Blood Prince, I found something in the library. Harry, you said the book was published 50 years ago? Well, I looked back through the old school records, and there was a woman named Eileen Prince here about that time."

"We've been over this, Hermione," Ron said. "A woman wouldn't bother calling herself prince."

Hermione glared at him angrily. "Shut up Ronald!" she exclaimed, taking a step towards him. "What I was getting to is that there's more! I found a mention in the newspaper, that she married a muggle, and later another one that mentioned her having a baby." She relaxed a little as she faced Harry, blocking Ron out of her view. "I didn't find her married name, but the book could have belonged to her child."

Harry nodded. "You're right, it could have. See? There's nothing unusual about that!"

Hermione shook her head forcefully. "You have no idea what kind of person he was! I still don't think you should be using that book!"

Draco stepped in between them. "Look Hermione, Harry likes that book, and it definitely seems to be helping him. Obviously this Prince was very good at Potions, better than whoever wrote the textbook at least! And maybe you're right and not everything in it is safe. I'm sure Harry will be smart and not use anything that looks dangerous or too much different than the original recipe. Right Harry?"

Harry nodded again. "He's right Hermione. I'm not going to do anything stupid, I promise."

Hermione sighed. "Fine. Just be careful, okay? I still don't trust that book."


	15. The Question

The fifth year Gryffindor dorm was tense that night. Ron was still angry with Hermione for telling him to shut up. Dean was surly and refused to speak to anyone. Neville was upset over his recent Defence Against the Dark Arts mark. Harry and Seamus shared a baffled look before drawing their curtains.

Harry's eyes jerked open as a hand closed on his arm. He threw his free hand towards the shape standing above him.

"Harry, it's me," a familiar voice said as the person stepped away from the blow. "I need to talk to you."

Harry groped around for his glasses and shoved them on. Squinting, he could make out bright blond hair and a pointed face. "What time is it?"

Draco shifted uneasily. "About 2, I think. Can we go to the common room?"

Harry pulled himself out of bed and shuffled towards the door. He stopped for a second, pulling a blanket from his bed and wrapping it around himself. The dormitory was cold in the January air.

The fire had burned down low in the common room. Harry sprawled out on a couch as Draco sunk into a nearby armchair. For a moment neither of them spoke.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked, noticing the unhappy look on Draco's face.

Draco sighed shakily. "I keep having nightmares." He ran his hand through his hair. "Usually I can forget about them and get back to sleep but they've been getting worse. The Ravenclaws are really great, but tonight I just needed-" he glanced at Harry. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have woken you up. I'll go back to bed."

"No, it's okay." Harry said. "I understand. Is it your mother again?"

"Sometimes. But other times it's you, and Ron and Hermione and Luna, and sometimes it's Him, and sometimes I'm being hunted, and in some of them everyone dies, and it's all my fault. It's always all my fault." Harry watched as Draco scratched at his arm angrily.

"Your Mark. It's burning, isn't it?"

Draco looked up. "Yeah. It hasn't for a few days, but they must be doing something big tonight." He lifted his sleeve to reveal the swirling black shape.

Harry sat silently for a minute, lost in thought. Finally, he blurted his thoughts out. "What do you really believe, Draco? At Slughorn's party you said something to Scrimgeour, about your beliefs never changing. What did you mean?"

Draco let his face fall down into his hands. "I don't know," he whispered. "It's all so confusing. I've always been taught that muggles are evil and stupid and beneath us. But then you showed me their world this summer, and everything I knew was wrong. And Hermione is brilliant, and so nice, and the other muggleborns I've talked to have been the same. I'm not any better than them, not really. But all I've ever known is that purebloods are better, and that mudbloods shouldn't be allowed into our world. And I don't know what to think, what to believe." He was sobbing now. "And I'm such a coward that I can barely admit it, because you're the first real friends I've ever had, and I'm so scared to lose you."

Harry slid across the couch towards Draco's chair and gently put a hand on his shoulder. "You're not going to lose us. And none of this is your fault. Your parents have done awful things, and they taught you terrible lies. But you made the choice for yourself to get away from it. Isn't that what really matters?"

Draco sniffed. "They're not all bad, you know. My parents. I really do love them. And I know that they love me. How can everything they taught me be wrong if they love me?"

"The Dursleys hated me, but they still managed to teach me a couple of decent things. Sometimes good people can be wrong, and sometimes bad people can be right. But being right doesn't make you good, just like being wrong doesn't have to make you bad. It's all about what you believe for yourself."

Draco slowly wiped his tears away before raising his head to look at Harry. "I believe that hurting or insulting people for something they can't control is wrong. Can that be enough for now, until I can figure the rest out?"

Harry gave him a reassuring smile. "I think that's a really good start."

The rest of that night Draco slept dreamlessly in the Gryffindor common room, wrapped in a discarded blanket.


	16. The Return of the Chocolates

As the weeks passed Harry had no ideas of how to retrieve Slughorn's memory. Hermione had a few, but Draco shot each of them down. February slipped by quickly with no progress.

"Happy birthday Ron!" Draco's voice called out on the morning of March first. He strode into the dormitory, ignoring surprised looks from Dean and Seamus as they headed to the common room. He tossed a package onto Ron's bed. "I got you a present."

Harry sat up. "Oh yeah, happy birthday! I have a present for you too, just let me find it." He slid to the floor and started searching through his trunk. He had half-emptied it by the time he found Ron's present buried at the bottom.

"This is a seriously great haul," Ron mused as he inspected the watch his parents had sent him. "I think I like coming of age." Harry started to repack his trunk as Ron opened his gift. "Keeper's gloves! Thanks Harry!"

Harry turned back just in time to see Draco steal a Chocolate Cauldron from an open box on Ron's bed. Ron huffed at him and then popped a second one in his own mouth. "Want one Harry?"

"Not before breakfast!" Harry laughed. "Come on, we should get going. I don't want to try to Apparate on an empty stomach."

But Ron and Draco weren't listening. Ron had drifted towards a window and was staring outside. Draco was sitting on the floor, a goofy grin spreading across his face.

"Oy, what's going on with you two?" Harry asked. "It's time for breakfast!"

"I'm not hungry," Ron said in an airy voice. "I don't think I could eat. Not without her."

"I'm sure Lavender will be there waiting for you by now," Harry laughed.

"Do you think she even knows who I am?" Draco sighed.

"Lavender? I would hope so, though she's always so busy snogging Ron you never know."

Draco glared at Harry. "Not Lavender, Romilda Vane!"

Ron twirled around. "Why do you care about Romilda? You leave her alone, she's mine!" Harry took a step back in confusion.

"What do you two mean? Romilda Vane?"

Draco stood up forcefully. "I love her!" he shouted. "I love her and you'd better stay away from her Weasley!"

Ron punched Draco in the gut. "No, she's mine! I loved her first, and you aren't getting in our way!"

"She'll never love you more than me," Draco gasped. He reached for his wand.

"Levicorpus!" Harry yelled. Ron flew into the air, suspended by his ankle thanks to a spell they had learned from the Half-Blood Prince. "Expelliarmus!" A second later he was clutching Draco's wand in his left hand. "What is wrong with you two? Neither of you has ever even talked to her!"

"I love her," Ron's face had taken on a dreamy expression. "I'll always love her."

"I love her more," Draco retorted, his face a strange mixture of elation, pain and anger.

Harry glanced between his two friends. His gaze rested on the box of chocolates open on Ron's bed.

"Oh no," he muttered, "Is that- Ron, where did you get those Chocolate Cauldrons?"

"Birthday present," Ron said indignantly.

"Were they on the floor?"  
Draco answered this time. "They must have fallen, so I picked them up."

Harry shook his head. "Those came from my trunk. Romilda Vane gave them to me before Christmas. They're full of love potion!"

Ron and Draco both perked up at Romilda's name.

"You know her?"  
"Can you introduce me to her?"

Harry laughed. "Yeah sure, I'll introduce you both to her. Follow me." He grabbed Ron's wand from his nightstand and dropped him unceremoniously to the floor. "I'll keep your wands so, er, so you don't frighten her."

Harry led Ron and Draco to the common room, hoping furiously that Romilda would not be there. Thankfully she was not. Lavender, however, was waiting for Ron at the bottom of the stairs.

"Won-won!" she exclaimed, bounding up to him. She pulled his face down and planted a kiss on his lips.

Ron pushed Lavender away from him. "Uck, I don't want to snog you!" he declared loudly. "That's disgusting! Where's Romilda? I love her."

Harry saw tears spring into Lavender's eyes. "Ronald Bilius Weasley! How could you? After we've been dating all his time, you're cheating on me? I hate you! I hope you splinch yourself and I never see you again!" Before Harry could stop her to explain she ran off sobbing.

Ron was unphased by his girlfriend's response. "Harry, where's Romilda? I don't see her!"

"Er, this way," Harry said, directing Ron and Draco towards the portrait hole. He guided them carefully through the halls to Professor Slughorn's office.

"What's Romilda doing here?" Draco asked dreamily.

"Potions homework," Harry answered with as much false confidence as he could muster. "She had a question for Professor Slughorn."  
The door swung open to reveal Slughorn in his dressing gown and nightcap. "Oh, Harry my boy, what could you possibly need this early in the morning?"

Harry answered in a whisper. "Ron and Draco accidentally ate some of a love potion. I would take them to Madam Pomfrey, but I don't want to get the girl in trouble for using it."

Draco and Ron were trying to jostle past Harry to see into the room. "Is she there?" Ron asked. "I just have to tell her how beautiful she is!"

Professor Slughorn looked at the two boys in concern. "How old was this potion? They strengthen over time, you know."

"That explains a lot," Harry said, pushing Draco back into the hall. "It's been sitting in my trunk since before Christmas." He glanced at Ron. "It's his birthday."

"Come in, come in," Professor Slughorn sighed. "I have what I need for the antidote right here. It's not complicated. I'm surprised you didn't whip some up yourself!"

"I wanted to be sure that it was right," Harry answered as Ron and Draco pushed past him into the room. They stood together in the middle of a large carpet, looking around with wide eyes. "Ron already insulted his girlfriend, I thought it was best if we didn't wait too long to get this sorted."

Professor Slughorn was mixing ingredients in a vial. "I'll have them right as rain in a few minutes."

"Harry, where is she?" Draco whined.

"You said she would be here," Ron added. "I don't see her anywhere!"

"She's on her way," Harry soother. "She'll be here before you know it."

"Here boys, drink this," Professor Slughorn handed each of them a glass of clear liquid. "It's a tonic to calm the nerves." Ron and Draco both gulped the liquid down.

"Thanks Professor," Draco said, handing the glass back, a wide smile plastered on his face.

"No problem, my boy," Professor Slughorn chortled. "Always happy to help. Same goes for you, Radagast."

"It's Ron," Harry whispered fervently as his friend sank down onto a couch by the fire, looking stricken. A moment later Draco's smile became a frown as he returned to his senses.

"Back to normal then?" Professor Slughorn asked. "Excellent. I think you two need a bit of a pick-me-up. Now let's see, I have some Butterbeer, but I think something stronger is in order. Perhaps that bottle of oak-matured mead. Yes, I think that will do nicely." He reached behind his desk and pulled out a bottle and four glasses.

"To a very happy birthday," Slughorn said as he held up his glass. Ron and Draco were already draining theirs, oblivious to the toast. Harry shrugged and tipped his glass back as an idea formed in his head. Perhaps, if he could convince Slughorn to drink enough of the mead, he could finally get the memory from him.

"Professor," he said as he sipped at the mead. "You must have taught a lot of really interesting students in your time. But I'm curious, have you ever taught someone who ended up becoming a Dark Wizard?"  
Slughorn looked at Harry curiously as he refilled his glass. Draco and Ron had collapsed onto the couch across the room. "I did teach Tom Riddle in his time here, of course," he answered. "But why would you be curious about that?"

"It's hard to imagine someone like Tom Riddle as a student. I can barely believe that he was my age once." Harry answered. "What was he like, as a student? Was he interested in the Dark Arts even then, or was he just a normal student?"

There was a hint of suspicion in Slughorn's eyes. "Well, he was never a normal student by any means. In fact, he was quite like you. Brilliant. As far as the Dark Arts, well, he did seem to have some interests. But not enough that I would ever suspect what he would become."

Harry knew that he was getting close. "Could I have some more mead Professor?"

Slughorn peeled his eyes away from Harry to refill the glass. He added a significant amount to his own as well.

"What kinds of interests did he have?" Harry finally asked. He injected a hint of worry into his voice. "Maybe, if I can know what he was interested back in the beginning, it can help me to stay safe."

Professor Slughorn eyed Harry warily. He stood up abruptly. "I don't believe so, Harry. In fact, I think it would be best if you left now. You boys don't want to be late to your Apparition lessons."

Crestfallen, Harry led the way out of the room.


	17. Vaults and Potions

Lavender would not forgive Ron. For days she sniffed and sobbed about what a tosser he was in the common room. To her credit, Ron didn't exactly apologize to her. A few days later he confided in Harry that he had been wanting to break it off for ages but hadn't had the courage to say anything to her. Hermione had warmed up to him considerably after hearing the full story.

The Gryffindor-Hufflepuff Quidditch game was spectacular. Gryffindor won 360 to 80, nearly ensuring that they would win that year's Quidditch cup. Harry found himself so distracted that he forgot about retrieving Slughorn's memory entirely.

Until his next meeting with Dumbledore, that is.

"Dumbledore thinks that Voldemort wanted the cup and the locket?" Hermione asked. This time she was sitting next to Ron at a table in the back of the library. Draco was sitting next to Harry, his face twisted in contemplation.

"What would he have wanted them for?" Ron asked. "I know you said he likes to collect stuff but why?"

"That's not all," Harry said. He recounted Dumbledore's memory of Tom Riddle returning to Hogwarts to ask for the Defence Against the Dark Arts job. "Ever since then it's been cursed. No one has been able to keep it for more than a year."

"I wonder why Snape has it now," Hermione mused. "If the position's been cursed for 40 years why would Dumbledore let him take it if he really trusts him?"

"The cup," Draco interrupted. "Exactly what did it look like?"

"It was small and gold, with two handles and a badger on the side. Why?"

Draco sighed. "I know where it is."

"What?" Ron shouted. Madam Pince gave him a disapproving glare. "Where is it?"

"In my aunt Bellatrix's vault at Gringott's." Draco winced. "My mother was authorised to go in, and she took me with her a couple times. I always thought it was weird that my aunt kept a cup with a badger on it."

"Why would Voldemort give the cup to Bellatrix?" Hermione asked. Ron winced and Draco shuddered at the name.

"Who knows? She's crazy. I think she's in love with Him. She would do literally anything He asked."

"Well, we have to tell Dumbledore!" Hermione declared.

Harry shook his head. "We can't, he's not here. And I don't think that's something we should write in a letter. We'll just have to wait until he gets back."

The Apparition test was scheduled during Potions class. Harry and Draco, both only 16, were incredibly jealous of Ron and Hermione who were old enough to take the test. They would have to wait until the end of summer for theirs.

The morning of the test Hedwig flew into the Great Hall with a note from Hagrid. Aragog, the giant spider who had tried to eat Harry years before, had died. Hagrid wanted them to come to his funeral that night.

"Good riddance!" Ron exclaimed. "We're better off with that thing gone. He tried to eat me!"

Harry silently agreed. Though he cared a good deal about the gamekeeper, he had never understood his fascination with dangerous creatures. And sneaking three people out after curfew under the Invisibility Cloak was not so easy as it had been when they were smaller. "I'll send him some sort of note to say that we can't make it."

After breakfast Ron and Hermione left for Hogsmeade and their test. Harry and Draco gathered up their things and headed to the Potions classroom.

There was only one other student in Potions class; Ernie MacMillan, a Hufflepuff. Professor Slughorn gazed out at the small group of boys.

"Since there are so few of us here today I don't see any purpose in assigning something. Instead, I would like each of you to brew me something amusing or unique."

Harry turned through the pages of the Half-Blood Prince's book, searching for something that would satisfy Slughorn. He paused on the page for Hiccoughing Solution.

"Look at this," he whispered to Draco, pointing to a word scribbled in the corner. "Sectumsempra. For Enemies. Wonder what it does?"

Draco looked closely at the inscription. "I know sectum is 'cut'. Let's try it later. Let me copy down the notes for that potion quick."

Harry flipped through the pages of his book until he found a potion for Inducing Euphoria. Perhaps, if he could get Slughorn to try it, he could convince him to give up the memory! He whispered his idea to Draco, who smiled.

"Now you're thinking like a Slytherin!"

But even though Harry brewed a perfect Euphoria potion, Professor Slughorn refused to try it, and escaped the classroom quickly once the period was over. Harry and Draco went to the Gryffindor common room to wait for Ron and Hermione.

Ron was sulky when they finally returned late in the afternoon. "He failed his test," Hermione confided in them. "It really wasn't fair, all he left behind was an eyebrow. He didn't even notice at first."

Harry told them what had happened in Potions class.

"I told you not to try talking to him about it," Draco drawled. "You put him on his guard, just like I said you would."

"I tried to be clever about it!" Harry protested. "He was drinking and everything! I was so close!"

"Why don't you just take some of that luck potion?" Ron snarled.

Harry looked at him. "Ron, that's genius!" He dashed up the stairs to the boy's dormitory, the others trailing behind him. He rooted through his trunk until he found the sock that he had shoved the vial into.

"I don't need all of it," he said, looking at the potion. "Slughorn said it would be enough for twelve hours. I think half of it should be plenty. He raised it to his lips and took a small gulp.

Hermione, Ron, and Draco watched closely as Harry lowered the vial from his lips. "How do you feel?" Hermione demanded.

Harry thought about the question for a second. "Great," he answered. "I feel great! And exceptionally lucky." He reached into the trunk for his Invisibility Cloak. "I'm going to Hagrid's."

Draco started. "What? Why would you go there?"

Harry pulled on a sweater. "His acromantula died. I'm going to the funeral."

"But Harry!" Hermione protested. "You're supposed to be getting the memory from Slughorn!"

Harry paused to look at his friends. "Don't worry," he said with a smile. "I know this is the right thing to do. I'll get the memory and I'll be back before you know it!" He swung the cloak over himself and disappeared.

He didn't return until well after curfew. Draco had returned to Ravenclaw Tower and Hermione was in her dorm. Ron was fast asleep as Harry crept into his room and slid into bed.


	18. Blood Spilled

Harry told his friends about his adventures in Charms class the next morning. Draco was disappointed that Harry had finally succeeded in getting the memory using 'Gryffindor' tactics, but declared that he didn't really expect any better. Ron was excited by the idea of Harry going along to destroy the next Horcrux, and asked repeatedly if he could come too.

"What did Dumbledore say about the cup?" Hermione asked as Professor Flitwick passed them.

"He thinks it's another Horcrux, but there's no way to get to it without permission from someone in the family."

Draco snorted. "Well, since 'family's' not likely to include me, the chances of that happening are less than zero."

Harry agreed. "Dumbledore will find a way though."

"So that's four horcruxes, right?" Ron asked. "The diary, the ring, whatever Dumbledore is tracking down, and the cup. How many more are there?"

"Probably two. The snake, and who knows what else."

Ron ducked as a stray cloud flew towards his head. "What's up with Dean today?" he gestured in the direction the cloud had come from.

"Ginny broke up with him last night," Hermione said. "They've been pretty rocky for a while but it's over for real now."

Harry felt his heart soar strangely at this information. Before he knew it an argument had started in his head. Maybe if he talked to Ron first…

Finally the class ended. Harry and Draco dashed off to an empty bathroom, eager to try the spell they had found in Harry's Potions book.

"You said 'sectum' means cut," Harry said as he examined the page again. "It does say For Enemies. Are you sure you don't want to try it on me instead?"

"Think I'm scared, Potter?" Draco said tauntingly. "Don't worry. I'll be fine."

Harry raised his wand and pointed it at Draco. "Let's see if this is as good as Levicorpus. Sectumsempra!"

The smile fell from Harry's face immediately. Draco collapsed to the floor, his hands scrabbling at the deep cuts that had appeared across his face and chest. He gasped in pain as blood pooled beneath him.

Harry fell to his knees, not realising that he was screaming. The bathroom door burst open and a figure in dark robes rushed in.

Professor Snape passed his wand quickly over Draco while he muttered a spell that sounded like a song. Harry watched, horrified, as the cuts began to close. After Snape had repeated the spell for a third time he barked out an order.

"Help me get him to the infirmary. If he takes Dittany right away we might avoid scarring."

Harry hoisted Draco up onto his shoulder and stumbled out of the bathroom. Together he and Professor Snape carried the boy to the infirmary, where Madam Pince took charge and led him to a bed.

Snape rounded on Harry. "What were you doing?" he demanded.

"We were just testing a spell. We found it in a book and we were curious." Harry swallowed the lump in his throat as he heard Draco moan in pain from behind a curtain.

"Congratulations on successfully performing your first Dark Magic," Snape said drily. Harry could feel him looking into his mind and knew that he couldn't stop what was coming. Unbidden, an image of his Potions textbook swan into his mind.

"Bring me your school books," Snape growled. "All of them."

Harry rushed from the infirmary, thankful that he had left his bookbag in the bathroom. He sprinted down to retrieve it, then ran up to Gryffindor Tower.

"Ron!" Harry exclaimed as he saw his friend climbing through the portrait hole. "I need your Potions book, quick!"

"What for?" asked Ron as he rifled through his bag.

"I hurt Draco. It was an accident. Snape saw the book in my head." He snatched the book out of Ron's hands and shoved the Half-Blood Prince's book at him. "Hide this somewhere, I'll get it later." He turned and ran back to the infirmary.

"Roonil Wazlib?" Snape asked, surveying the Potions book he had found in Harry's bag.

"Yes sir, that's my nickname." Harry answered. He looked away as Snape gazed piercingly at him.

"Fifty points each from Gryffindor and Ravenclaw," Snape drawled after a moment. "For lack of forethought when using potentially dangerous spells. You and Mr. Malfoy will both be serving detention with me Friday evening at five o'clock. Be thankful I was nearby, Mr. Potter. Draco could easily have died in that bathroom."

Harry shuddered at the thought. "Thank you for saving him Professor," he muttered. "We'll be more careful in the future."

"See that you are." Professor Snape drifted out the door.

Harry waited for Madam Pomfrey to release Draco. After half an hour, a good deal of Dittany, and a blood replenishing potion, she pronounced him almost as good as new and allowed Harry to help him back to his dorm for a mandatory nap.

"Detention?" Draco groaned. "And fifty points? The Ravenclaws are going to kill me."

"We're lucky," Harry said. "Snape knew what the spell was. He said you could have died."

Draco cocked his head. "You said he looked at your potions book straight away? I wonder…"

"I don't think it means much. I'm awful at Occlumency. It was the first thing he saw in my head."

"Still," Draco said as Harry lowered him onto his bed. "It could mean something. I'll have to check."

"It doesn't matter anyway," Harry said. "I'm going to get rid of the book. Hide it somewhere. I can't risk taking it to class and Snape finding it."


	19. The Best Family

Their detention came and went quickly. Harry had hidden the book in a cabinet in the Room of Requirement, safely marking its place with an old bust topped by a gaudy tiara. He was confident that he could find it again if he needed to. Hermione had been smug for days, asserting that she had been right about the Half-Blood Prince all along. She had been so frustrating that even Ginny had refused to speak to her on several occasions.

Saturday dawned bright and clear; perfect weather for their final Quidditch match. Harry jostled Draco jokingly that morning, asking if he would be rooting for his own house or for his friends in Gryffindor. Draco smiled, refusing to answer.

The game was spectacular. The Gryffindor team was the strongest Harry had ever seen it. Ginny scored goal after goal, a howl of praise coming up from the Gryffindor spectators each time. Finally Harry spotted the Snitch hovering near the ground. He dove for it, startling Cho Chang as he zoomed right past her and plucked it out of the air. He tumbled gently to the ground, holding the Snitch and grinning widely as his team members landed around him.

Harry spotted Ginny walking towards him, a look of fierce determination in her eyes. She wrapped her eyes around Harry and, without thinking, he kissed her, right there in view of the entire school. He pulled away as a chorus of whistles and cheers erupted around them.

The party in the Gryffindor common room that night was spectacular. Ron didn't mind the idea of Harry dating his sister, so long as he treated her well. Draco joined the party and stayed long past curfew. He had to borrow Harry's Invisibility Cloak to sneak back to his own dormitory.

It was Luna who discovered Draco's birthday. She told Ginny, who told Hermione, who decided that Draco's coming of age warranted a break from revising and planned a surprise party. At least, that's the story that they told Harry and Ron the evening of June fourth.

"Why didn't you say anything earlier?" Harry complained. "How am I supposed to get him anything now?"

"Tell him that the Wrackspurts delayed it," Luna suggested. "They've been affecting the owls lately you know."

"If you had been listening you would have known already!" Hermione admonished. "He's mentioned it at least twice in class. Besides, Harry, you had Potions with him while we were at the Apparition test. You had to know it was coming soon!"

"How am I supposed to remember things like that when you have us all revising like we're writing our OWLS again?" Ron protested.

"Quiet down!" Ginny exclaimed. "Just tell him that you forgot and you have something on the way. Or just enjoy the party. I'm sure he won't mind either way. Anyways, we couldn't tell you earlier. You're both rubbish at keeping secrets."

"Hey!" Harry protested. "I can keep secrets just fine!"

Ginny gave him an aloof glare. "Our first kiss was in front of the entire school."

Harry shrugged. "So I'm not subtle." He smirked and moved closer to her.

"Oy!" Ron shouted. "Not in front of me!"

"Will you all quiet down and listen?" Hermione glared around the circle. "Like I was trying to say, Draco and I have Ancient Runes together last period. Harry, Ron, you have a free period, so you're going to have to do most of the setting up. Luna and Ginny and I have already made all the arrangements. It's just going to be us and Neville in the Room of Requirement."

"Did you tell Neville before us?" Ron asked, a hurt expression on his face.

"No, it'll be a surprise for him too," Luna answered. "He's even worse at secrets than Harry."

"Anyways," Hermione interjected, "the room is decorated and ready for us. You just have to ask it for a place to celebrate Draco's birthday."

"The thing you two have to remember is the cake," Ginny said. "I asked the house elves to make one for us-"

"I thought we should do it on our own but Ginny insisted," Hermione grimaced.

Luna giggled. "It was the quite the argument. It's too bad you missed it really."

Harry and Ron shared a glance. Knowing Ginny's stubbornness and Hermione's determination when it came to House Elves, they were really quite glad to have missed the argument.

"You just have to pick it up from the kitchens and get it to the Room of Requirement," Ginny continued. "Though you should really try to do it without being seen." Harry nodded; he figured he could just summon Dobby or Kreacher and ask them to bring the cake instead of trying to smuggle it through the castle.

"I'm going to pretend I need something from my dormitory after class." Hermione said. "That way Ginny and Luna will have time to find Neville and get him in before I get there with Draco."

"Hold on," Ron broke in, "What are you going to say to get Draco into the Room of Requirement with you?"  
Hermione blushed slightly. "I haven't really thought about that yet. Maybe something about a book, he's usually pretty interested in learning strange things."

"By the way Harry, Luna and I will need to borrow your map." Ginny flashed a smile at her boyfriend. "We'll only have a few minutes to track down Neville, and-"

"Oh, hello Draco!" Luna interrupted, her head poked around the corner. Ginny and Hermione's faces paled.

"Scatter!" Ginny hissed, grabbing Harry's arm and pulling him towards the end of the hallway and into an alcove. Ron ran past them as Luna's voice echoed off the wall.

"Oh, I'm heading to the common room too! Why don't we walk together?" After that Harry lost track of the pair as Ginny pulled him into a kiss.

"Wow, the girls sure know how to throw a party." Ron was standing in the room of Requirement surveying the preparations for Draco's birthday. "Look, Butterbeer!" He held up a bottle from the stack in the corner of a table. "They've got plates and napkins and everything. Why haven't they ever thrown a party for either of us?"  
"Well my birthday's during the summer," Harry pointed out, "And I'm guessing they think Draco could use a fun time more than you about now." He smirked as he blocked the pillow Ron threw at his face.

"Well, we have half an hour left before the end of the period," Ron said as he checked his watch. "Are we really going to try to smuggle a cake up here?"

"Right," said Harry. "Kreacher! Dobby!"

There was a loud CRACK almost instantly as Dobby appeared, bouncing on his toes in excitement. A second later there was another CRACK and Kreacher appeared, looking surly and unhappy.

"What can Dobby and Kreacher do for the Great Harry Potter?" Dobby asked in excitement.

"Ginny told me that she asked the house elves to make a cake for Draco's birthday," Harry said. "Is it finished?"

Dobby grimaced at Draco's name. Kreacher made a disgusted noise in his throat and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like "filthy blood-traitor".

"Yes, the elves has finished it, Harry Potter," Dobby replied.

"Then I would like you and Kreacher to bring it up here," Harry commanded. "And maybe some snacks too." He caught a glimpse of the sneer on Kreacher's face. "Er, Kreacher, you are not to do anything to it," he added quickly. "Nothing harmful, or nasty, or unpleasant. Do you understand?"

"Yes, master," Kreacher glared as he answered. With a CRACK the two elves disappeared. A moment later they returned, Kreacher carrying a ridiculously large cake as Dobby struggled under an unevenly stacked appetizer platter.

"Thanks Dobby, Kreacher," Harry said as he and Ron relieved them of their burdens. "It was a huge help having you here.

"May Kreacher return to the kitchens now?" the old elf asked grumpily.

"Yeah, Kreacher. See you later."

Ron moved a pile of packages off the table to make room for the appetizer tray. "I don't think the girls expected them to make all this. With this much food we won't even have to go to dinner!"

"Yeah," Harry agreed as he glanced at the pile. "That reminds me." He reached into his school bag and pulled a wrapped package out. He tossed it onto the pile of gifts.

Ron glared at him. "How did you get something so quickly?" he demanded.

"Owl post," Harry shrugged. "I put in an order last night. I didn't expect it to get here so soon. Guess I'm lucky."

At the moment the door burst open. Luna ran through first, dragging a confused Neville behind her. Ginny burst through after, clutching the Marauder's Map tightly as she closed the door firmly. "They're just down the hall! Hide quick!"

Harry ducked behind a couch with Neville and Luna. Ginny slid in right behind the door. In desperation Ron crouched behind the table.

"Why are we hiding?" Neville whispered. "And why is there cake?"

"Surprise party," Harry whispered as Ginny shushed everyone.

Harry held his breath as the door cracked open. He could hear Draco's voice on the other side, talking to Hermione. White hair came into view as the door swung open.

"Surprise!"

Draco stood frozen in shock as his eyes roved across the room. With a chuckle Hermione pushed him into the room and closed the door. "Happy birthday Draco!" she exclaimed.

Draco snapped his mouth closed. "You did this for me?" he asked no one in particular as he took in the cake and presents.

"Of course!" Luna bounded across the room and pulled him towards a cluster of chairs around the table. "We couldn't let your seventeenth birthday go uncelebrated!" She pushed Draco into a seat next to the stack of presents.

"Don't look at me," Harry laughed as Draco's astonished gaze settled on him. "The girls did it all. They just told me and Ron about it last night."

"They didn't tell me about it at all," Neville added, "Or else I would've gotten you a present." He shrugged.

"Speaking of presents," Ginny had sauntered over and perched on a loveseat. "You should open them up so we can have cake!"

Draco began to open his presents, thanking his friends copiously for each one. He paused when he reached a package from Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.

"You have no idea how much this means to me," he said quietly as he pulled it open to reveal homemade toffee and a deep blue tie. "I didn't think I'd get to celebrate my birthday with my family again. But I was wrong." A huge grin split his face. "You, all of you, are the best family I could ever have." His glanced around the circle.

Luna leaned over and gave Draco a hug. "The best family is the one you choose."

Everyone jumped as a BANG sounded from the middle of the table. With a grin, Ginny waved her wand, and miniature fireworks emerged from the candles on top of the cake. "I asked Fred and George for the best birthday-related item they had. They created these just for the occasion."

Draco's grin broadened as the fireworks subsided and the candles turned into regular flames. He took a gulp of air and blew them out, at which they exploded into what Ginny assured them was edible glitter.

Unfortunately the party had to end early that evening. Ginny and Luna had an OWL the next morning, and Hermione had begun to get restless and jumpy at the amount of study time she was missing. Laughing happily the group emerged from the Room of Requirement and went their separate ways for the night.

Exams had been over for several days when Harry received Dumbledore's message. He ran off to the Headmaster's office, armed with his wand and his Invisibility Cloak, excited about the prospect of finding the next Horcrux.


	20. Tipping Point

Harry swallowed nervously as he zoomed towards Hogwarts on the borrowed broom. He and Dumbledore had left the school earlier that evening in search of a Horcrux. They had apparated to a cave, the same cave that had been mentioned in one of Dumbledore's memories of Tom Riddle, and through a series of trials had managed to take Slytherin's locket. But Dumbledore had been forced to drink a potion that had weakened him. Even now Harry could see him swaying on his broom.

He turned as a shout rose from the castle gates. Upon returning to Hogwarts they had discovered the school under attack from dozens of Death Eaters. They were screaming and beating at the gates, shooting curses into the air. The Dark Mark was hanging in the stormy sky above the Astronomy tower as sleepy students, still dressed in their pyjamas, looked out windows and gathered on the lawn.

"Do not remove your Cloak," Dumbledore instructed as he and Harry landed at the top of the tower. "You must stay hidden, no matter what happens."

Footsteps pounded up the stairs; Harry drew his wand and moved behind the door. There was a bang as it flew open, and Harry realised that he was completely unable to move. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Dumbledore lowering his wand and realised that the headmaster had petrified him.

Draco emerged first through the door, his arm twisted behind him as he struggled against his captor. Snape appeared behind him, Draco's Hawthorn wand clutched firmly in his hand and pointed threateningly towards Dumbledore.

"Ah, Severus, I was just about to look for you. I am afraid that I am not well, and you are the only one with the skills to help me."

Snape glanced around the tower before pushing Draco in Harry's direction. "Wait there, boy," he snarled before turning to Dumbledore. "And why do you think I would help you, Albus?"

Draco fell into Harry, nearly knocking him over. He groped wildly for a moment, confused, before Harry saw realisation in his eyes. He backed carefully into Harry's frozen form and began to feel for something, careful that Snape couldn't see his movements.

"My old friend, why wouldn't you help me?" Dumbledore asked. His waved his wand hand, still blackened and shrivelled as it had been over the summer, in the air. "I trust you, Severus. Please."

Snape's face twisted into an expression of contempt. Slowly he lifted his wand. "Avada Kedavra."

As the curse hit Dumbledore Draco's hands found what they were searching for. He wrestled Harry's wand out of his frozen grasp and pointed it at Snape.

With a flash of light the wand flew out of Snape's hand towards Harry's feet. Before it had even hit the ground Snape had his own wand in hand. He easily deflected Draco's curse.

"Petrificus Totalus!"

Harry felt Draco stiffen against him. His mind raced too fast to think, too fast to feel anything, as he realised that he could move again. He scooped Draco's wand off the ground.

"Impedimenta!"

Snape deflected the curse with a wave of his wand. "I knew you were here, Potter," he sneered.

"Reducto!" The Invisibility cloak slipped from Harry's shoulders as he waved the wand violently. Snape easily sidestepped the attack and sent a jet of red light flying towards his left shoulder.

"You have proven yourself to be incapable of even the simplest non-verbal spell," Snape taunted as he deflected Harry's attacks. "Completely unable to keep your mouth closed and your mind shut!"

"Sectumsempra!" Harry bellowed in response. Before he could move there was a loud BANG and he soared backwards. He hit the wall of the tower and crumpled to the ground, grunting in pain.

"Do not use my own spells against me!" Snape bellowed, standing right above Harry. "I am the Half-Blood Prince!"

"You killed him!" Harry bellowed. "He trusted you!"

Snape was shaking in anger as he looked down at Harry. "DON'T" he yelled, "speak to me about trust! You know nothing!" He backed up to the edge of the tower. "The Dark Lord is coming for you both," he glanced between Harry lying on the hard stone and Draco's frozen form. "You cannot escape Him."

Snape swirled in place as if he was going to Apparate. Instead of disappearing, he rose into the air. Harry stared in amazement as he flew- actually flew, robes billowing behind him- to join the other Death Eaters waiting outside the gates. He didn't notice as Draco ran up behind him and began to throw curses towards the fluttering black shape.

Harry stared down the tower, towards the group of figures clustered at its base. He sobbed as tears began to stream down his face.

Draco cursed. "He got away."

But Harry didn't hear. He was already racing down the stairs. He heard Draco's footsteps following him as he burst through the door of the castle.

The next few days passed in a haze. Harry remembered falling into the grass next to Dumbledore, feeling for a pulse even though he knew there was no hope. He knew that it had been Lupin who pulled him away once again, just as he had done when Sirius fell through the veil. He had seen the Order of the Phoenix there; the Weasleys, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Mad-Eye, Tonks and Fleur. He knew that Bill Weasley had been injured, mauled by the werewolf Fenrir Greyback as he tried to drag back a third-year Gryffindor who had rushed through the gates and into the Death Eaters. But everything else was jumbled, confused.

It was after the funeral that Harry remembered the Horcrux. He found Ron, Hermione, and Draco and walked to the far side of the lake before opening it. But it was a fake. He screamed and threw it into the woods.

"He could have lived! He could have lived but now he's gone, and I'll never be able to find the Horcruxes, I'll never be able to beat Voldemort alone." He sobbed into his hands.

An arm wrapped around Harry's shoulder. "You're not alone," Hermione said gently. "I'll never leave you alone."

There was a shuffle as Ron slid closer. "Wherever you go, I'm coming with you. We'll find the Horcruxes, and we'll beat Him."

Harry watched numbly as Draco stood up and walked away. He crumpled into Ron and Hermione's arms at the betrayal. "I won't be coming back to school, you know," he whispered. "It'll be dangerous."

"Of course it will be," a voice answered from behind him. "But I'm coming too." Draco dropped to the ground in front of Harry, the locket clutched tightly in his hand. "We might need this. At least now we know we're looking for a locket."

Harry smiled. Here, on the edge of the lake, he was safe for one more day. Safe, and surrounded by friends.

* * *

 **Thank you so much for reading my first fanfic ever! I've been inventing stories in my head since I was very young, but this is the first time I've ever bothered to write it down. Hopefully you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!**

 **I am going to continue writing and updating this with my own version of their seventh year. I will try to post updates regularly.**

 **I would really appreciate reviews to tell me what you thought about it!**


	21. Narrow Escape

Draco Malfoy woke up screaming.

Crying in the middle of the night was nothing new in the Dursley household. In fact, Dudley Dursley had come to expect to hear crying coming from the rooms down the hall from his at night. But screaming was something else entirely. A figure came hurtling from the smallest bedroom.

Harry Potter was quite glad to have been woken from his own dreams. Only a moment before he had been seeing the inside of what he could only assume was Draco's former residence, Malfoy Manor. A woman that was vaguely familiar had been floating above a table, surrounded by faces of those he knew to be Death Eaters. He shuddered. By now she was dead.

Draco woke abruptly at Harry's touch. He sat up and stared for a moment, gasping as if he had just run a marathon, before collapsing into the bed with tears running down his cheeks.

Harry sank down next to the bed and breathed deeply. He and Draco had been at the Dursley's for three weeks, since the end of the school term. The Dursleys had not been happy to accept the boys back into their house, but the Order had insisted that it was the safest place, and eventually Aunt Petunia had given in. The arrangement wouldn't last for long anyways; that afternoon the Dursleys would be going into hiding and members of the Order of the Phoenix would be arriving to transport Harry and Draco to a safehouse.

Slowly Draco's sobs subsided and his breathing steadied into a gentle rhythm. "Sorry for waking you."

Harry rested his head in his hands. "Do your parents have a big fireplace with a mirror above it? In a really big room."

Draco turned to look at Harry. "In the drawing room. Why?"

"Someone named Charity Burbage is dead. The snake."

Draco gulped. "The Muggle Studies teacher?"

Harry looked up. That's why he had recognized her. "Think you're going to be able to sleep?"

"I doubt it. Maybe I'll read for a while."

Harry nodded. "Me too." He walked back to his room and collapsed in bed. He was nervous about the coming afternoon. He and Draco were both safe here in Privet Drive for exactly four more days, until his seventeenth birthday. But the Order had decided to move them away sooner, hoping to avoid Voldemort. None of them knew if their plan would work.

The Dursleys left that afternoon. Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia were more upset about leaving the house than they were Harry. Dudley, in an unprecedented show of kindness, actually said goodbye. Harry had felt pleasantly surprised as the Dursleys drove off, accompanied by a pair of aurors.

It wasn't long after the Dursley's departure that the Order arrived at Privet Drive. Thirteen people, fifteen including Harry and Draco, crowded into the small living room as Mad-Eye Moody explained the plan. Before Harry knew what was happening Hermione had ripped a chunk of hair from his head and was adding it to a vial of polyjuice potion.

"All of you will be wearing clothes matching Harry's," Mad-Eye explained. He gestured to a large bundle of clothing before turning back to the line in front of him. "Fleur, Fred, George, Ron, and Hermione, you will be disguised as Harry, and each of you will have one escort. We will be taking a variety of transportations including Thestrals, broomsticks, and Hagrid's motorcycle. Draco, you will be disguised as Harry as well. You'll be coming with both me and Mundungus."

Draco grimaced. "You want me to spoil my good looks with his face?" He smirked as Harry threw a shirt at him. "Alright Potter, I'll do it."

"Yes, you will," Mr. Weasley said sternly. "I don't think we need to remind you that you are in just as much, if not more, danger than Harry at the moment."

Draco looked at the floor still smirking.

"Hopefully we have succeeded in fooling Voldemort and this will be an easy trip," Mad-Eye continued. "However we must all be prepared for attack. Draco, when was the last time your Mark was active?"

Draco looked up, his face red at the mention of the Dark Mark on his arm. He pulled up his left sleeve. "I haven't felt anything for almost a week."

Mad-Eye nodded curtly. "That's a good sign, but we still cannot relax our guard. Constant vigilance!"

Each person took a drink of the polyjuice potion and transformed into Harry. After dressing quickly they paired off and departed, hoping for the best.

But all was not well. A group of hooded figures, at least thirty of them, was waiting when the group rose up from the ground. Voldemort himself was with them, and quickly identified the real Harry. By the time that Harry reached the Burrow Hagrid was injured, the motorcycle was destroyed, Hedwig was dead, and Harry had lost his Firebolt. He just managed to save his rucksack and his own life.

Over the next hour the other members appeared two at a time. George was bleeding; his ear had been cut off by a Sectumsempra curse cast by Snape. Soon only one group was missing: Mundungus, Mad-Eye, and Draco.

Harry was pacing up and down the garden path. Hermione and Ron were sitting on the front steps of the house, holding each other as they gazed hopefully down the path. Finally a solitary figure appeared, riding on a broom.

Harry ran towards the broom. He caught a glimpse of white hair and felt a knot of tension come undone in his stomach.

"Draco!" he yelled as the figure wearily dismounted. He grabbed Draco around the shoulders as he swayed on his feet. "What took you so long?"

Draco turned a tear-stained face toward his friend. "My father," he whispered. His face contorted, and he fell to the ground.

"Draco!" Ron and Hermione yelled in unison. "We have to get him into the house!"

Gingerly Harry and Ron picked Draco up and carried him towards the door. Hermione ran ahead, returning a second later with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Bill, and Lupin. They took Draco inside and laid him on a couch across from George.

"He should wake up in a minute," Mrs. Weasley pronounced after a quick examination. "He's just exhausted. Ginny, get him a glass of water."

Harry watched as Ginny ran out of the room. He felt a twinge of guilt knowing that soon, he had to have a conversation with her that neither of them wanted to happen.

Draco's eyes fluttered open. He took a gulp of air as his eyes darted around the concerned people above him. Ginny pressed a glass of water into his hand.

"Mad-Eye-" Mrs. Weasley shushed him before he could say any more.

"Drink the water, then tell us what happened," she said gently. Draco looked at her and sat up.

"Mad-Eye is dead," he said after draining the glass. A shudder went through the crowd. "Mundungus panicked and apparated and a curse hit Mad-Eye. He fell."

Mrs. Weasley pulled Draco into a tight hug as tears rolled down her face. He sat stiffly, obviously unsure of how to react, before relaxing into her arms.

"I'm so glad that you made it back here," Mrs. Weasley said. "It can't have been easy all alone."

Draco shook his head slightly. He stayed silent. Harry walked around the group clustered at the couch and through the door. He couldn't put these people in danger for him any longer.

Harry was sitting at the edge of the Burrow's protective barrier, staring into the night, when he heard footsteps approaching. He didn't turn around as someone sat down beside him.

"You're thinking of leaving, aren't you?" Harry turned, surprised to hear Draco's voice.

"How did you convince Mrs. Weasley to let you out?"

Draco shrugged. "I told her I had to find you. She was pretty distracted by George anyways."

Harry nodded. "Do you know if he's going to be okay?"

"They can't put the ear back, not after it's been cursed off. But I think they've stopped the bleeding." Draco paused. "You didn't answer my question. Are you leaving?"

"I can't. Not until my birthday. They would find me in an instant."

"I have to come with you, you know."

Harry sighed. "I can't, Draco. I know Hermione and Ron are going to say the same thing. But I can't keep letting other people put themselves in danger for me."

"I'm in danger no matter what," Draco answered. "I might actually be safer with you."

Harry looked at Draco. His face was set, as if he had reached a new determination.

"It's going to be hard. And eventually I'll have to stop running and face Voldemort."

Draco nodded. "I know. And I'll be there with you." Something glistened in his eyes.

Harry slowly shook his head. "Draco, I'm going to fight against Voldemort. I'm fighting for muggles and muggleborns, and against everything you've ever been taught. I can't take someone who doesn't believe those things with me."

Draco ran his fingers through his hair. "I never told you how Snape found me that night, did I?"

Harry glanced at him in curiosity. "I just assumed he brought you from your dorm."

"No. He caught me in a third-floor corridor, yelling at students to get back to their common rooms. Some of the younger Ravenclaws were missing. Half-bloods and muggleborns. I went looking for them and found students everywhere. I hid as many as I could in the Room of Requirement and the Gryffindor common room before I headed down."

"That's why it was mostly Hufflepuffs and Slytherins outside," Harry mused. He looked at Draco. "Why are you telling me now?"

Draco sighed. "I saw my father tonight. He followed me. He caught me. He was going to kill me." His face was deathly white as he relived the events. "Right as he grabbed me I started changing back, into myself. He let me go." He ran his hand through his hair again, forcing it to stand on end. "I've been thinking for a long time Harry. And I do believe that my parents are wrong. And He- the Dark Lord, is wrong. And I want to fight him. Not just because I'm friends with you, but because I believe it's the right thing to do."

Harry gave him a surprised look. "Are you really sure? If you do this, everything will change. Forever. You'll have to fight your own family."

"I'm sure." Draco set his jaw in determination. "I'm not running scared anymore. And after tonight I'm ready to fight. Even if it is my family."

Harry couldn't help but smile.


	22. Flight

"And to Draco Malfoy, I leave the book 'Great Magiks of Olde'. May the darkness taught be vanquished by the light within." Scrimgeour passed Draco an ancient leather bound book. He surveyed the group suspiciously. Hermione was clutching another book, 'Tales of Beedle the Bard', Ron was flicking the Deluminator on and off, and Harry was clinging tightly to a golden snitch. "In addition to these items, Albus Dumbledore bequeathed the sword of Gryffindor to the four of you. Unfortunately, the sword is missing, and even if it should be found, it was not his to give away." The Minister of Magic glanced again at the students surrounding him.

"The sword is missing?" Harry said with a start. He distinctly remembered seeing it in Dumbledore's office at the end of the last term.

"I'm afraid so," Scrimgeour answered. He surveyed the group suspiciously one last time. "Do not try to fight this war on your own. Dumbledore may have believed that you are the chosen one Mr. Potter. Do not allow an old fool to lead you to your doom." He stood up and silently walked out of the room.

Draco began leafing through his book immediately. Hermione looked in confusion at hers.

"A children's book? What could that mean?"  
Ron pulled it out of her hands. "My mum used to tell me these stories. Babbity Rabbity was my favourite." He flipped open to a page with a fantastical drawing of a rabbit. "Why'd he give you a Snitch Harry?"

"Snitches have flesh memory," Hermione explained. "They keep a record of whoever first touched them, in case of dispute in a match. Scrimgeour expected something to happen when you touched it."

"So did I," Harry said. "But then I realized, I didn't catch my first Snitch with my hand. I almost swallowed it." He held it up to his lips and words appeared in a thin script across it. "I open at the close…"

"Look here!" Draco exclaimed, holding up his book. "I was hoping this would be in here. A whole section on Horcruxes!"

Ron whistled. "I'm surprised the Ministry let you have that. They must have spent ages going over this stuff."

"They probably figured I already knew enough dark magic that this wouldn't matter. It talks about destroying them." He grimaced at the page as Hermione snatched the book from his hands.

"'Horcruxes are nearly indestructible,"" she read. "'In order to destroy the living soul concealed within them, one must destroy the item beyond magical repair. There are several known ways to accomplish this, most notably through the use of Basilisk venom or Fiendfyre.'" She mirrored Draco's grimace.

"So once we find the Horcruxes, we have no way to destroy them. Fantastic." Ron said.

"What is Fiendfyre?" Harry asked.

"Bewitched fire that can seek out living things," Draco answered. "It's extremely dangerous."

"Do you know how to use it?"

"Not properly. I know the spell, but I have no idea how to stop it from killing everything in sight."

Harry sighed and slouched into the couch. "Well then, we'll have to find some Basilisk venom. We always knew this wouldn't be easy."

Ginny burst into the room. Hermione closed the book quickly and slid it back to Draco as the redhead surveyed her friends. "Harry, We're waiting for you! Come eat your cake!"

Harry hung back as the others got up. "Actually Ginny, could I talk to you for a second?"  
Ginny gave him a sad smile. "Of course."

As soon as the others had left the room Ginny launched herself into Harry's arms. "I know what you're going to say Harry. And I understand. But just have one more moment, just one, with me." She looked into his eyes and leaned forward. Her lips met Harry's in a long, passionate kiss.

Harry melted into her touch. In that moment everything felt right. He was at peace, here with Ginny. He wished that this moment could last forever, that he could live forever in her sweet embrace.

Finally Ginny pulled back. She leaned her head against Harry's chest as he stroked her hair. "I'm sorry, Ginny. I can't give them anything to use against me."

Hand-in-hand they walked out to Harry's party in the garden, fake smiles plastered on their faces as they grieved silently.

* * *

Bill and Fleur's wedding was lovely. Harry was dancing with Luna when a Patronus flew into the tent. He moved out of the way as the lynx landed.

 _The ministry has fallen. Scrimgeour is dead. They are coming._

A moment later his hand was in Hermione's. Draco and Ron were barrelling towards them as black shapes streaked around the dance floor. People were disapparating everywhere. Draco's hand caught onto Ron's and Harry felt the familiar sensation of being squeezed through a tube as Hermione apparated them away.

They appeared in the middle of a road. They stumbled out of the way as a bus came hurtling towards them and ran into a dark alley. Hermione pulled clothes out of the beaded bag she was carrying and threw them at the boys.

"Put these on, you need to look like Muggles."

Harry quickly pulled on the jeans and sweater that she handed him and balled his robe up. "Where are we?"

"Tottenham Court Road," Hermione answered as she shoved three robes and her own dress into the bag. "My parents used to bring me here. I don't know why I thought of it."

"Where are we going now?" Draco voiced all of their thoughts. Mrs. Weasley had kept them so busy with the preparations for the wedding that they had never had a chance to discuss their plans.

Hermione started to walk out of the alley. "Let's sit down somewhere." She led them down the street and into a coffee shop.

"If Voldemort has taken over the Ministry then there aren't many places we can go," Hermione said as she sat down at a gaudy red table.

"Even if he hasn't, he has spies everywhere," Draco pointed out.

"Right," Hermione continued. "So our options are really either someplace with a Fidelius charm, or somewhere in the Muggle world, which would be tricky, since Ron and Draco don't have any official records, and Muggles don't come of age until 18. I thought maybe my parent's house, but they'll probably go there." She paused as the waitress came over and ordered four cappuccinos.

"What about Grimmauld Place?" Ron asked as the waitress walked away.

"Remember what Mad-Eye said about the Fidelius charm?" Harry asked. "When Dumbledore died we all became Secret Keepers. Including Snape."

"It might be the safest place we've got," Hermione mused. She went silent as two men in work clothes walked past and settled at a table. "At least for tonight. Mr. Weasley did say that they put up jinxes against him."

Draco's face suddenly went pale as he looked towards the two men who had passed them. He pulled out his wand and pointed it at the bigger of the two. "Reducto!"

Harry pulled out his wand and mirrored Draco as the two men whipped around. Draco's curse barely missed the man as he leapt out of the way and aimed his own wand at his attacker.

"Death Eaters!" Draco yelled as a bolt of light flew past him. He sent an answering curse flying back.

"Petrificus totalus!" Hermione shouted. The smaller of the two men collapsed, paralyzed.

"Stupefy!" The larger Death Eater fell to the side, unconscious.

"How did they find us?" Ron hissed. He looked at Harry. "You can't still have the trace on you, there's no way to put it on a seventeen year old."

Hermione walked quickly towards the fallen men, a determined look on her face. "They've taken over the Ministry, Ron. Maybe they found a way."

"I don't think so," Draco said. "Ron's right, there's no way to put it on an adult. I remember hearing about a big problem with it once. A man claimed that it had been reactivated on him, and all sorts of safeguards were put in place so that it could never happen."

Hermione paused, her wand pointed at the bigger of the two Death Eaters. "Then how did they find us? It couldn't have been an accident, could it?" With a practised motion she obliviated the man.

Draco shook his head. "Death Eaters don't exactly wander around Muggle streets at night. Especially not when they're busy with something like attacking the Ministry." He looked down at his arm. "But I don't know about the Mark."

"If they could track you using your Mark they would have done it a long time ago," Harry said firmly. "It can't have been that." He copied Hermione's motion on the second man.

"What about the waitress?" Ron asked, nodding towards the kitchen.

Draco held a finger to his lips as he crept towards the door. A moment later the waitress emerged, carrying a tray of steaming cups. Draco grabbed the tray and threw it on the counter before silently stunning her. He lowered her gently to the ground before obliviating her.

"Let's get out of here," he said as he walked back to the others.

"To Grimmauld Place?" Hermione asked. The others nodded and they disappeared in a swirl of colour.

* * *

Grimmauld Place was dark and dusty. Harry jumped and ran to the door of Sirius' as he heard footsteps come up the stairs, his wand springing immediately to his hand. He relaxed as he saw Draco stepping onto the third floor landing.

"Harry?" Draco called out. Harry stepped around the edge of the door. "Couldn't sleep either?"

Harry shook his head. "I didn't want to disturb Ron and Hermione. They looked so peaceful."  
Draco smiled. "They were holding hands in their sleep when I left. Cute." He leaned back against the railing. "I think I figured out how they found us."

Harry looked at him curiously. "Last night?"

"Yeah. I've been thinking about it all night. I think it was the name."

"Vol-" Harry tried to ask.

"Don't say it!" Draco snapped. "I think they used the Nomine Vetitus jinx on it. It creates a magical disturbance when a certain word is used. It breaks protective enchantments too. I checked it in Dumbledore's book. It makes sense."

Harry nodded. "So if we say the name?"

"We're instantly trackable." Draco crossed his arms and looked at the door across the hall from him. A contemplative look spread across his face. "Regulus Arcturus Black. I know that name. He was a Death Eater. He joined when he was only 16."

Harry moved into the hallway to stare at the door. "Sirius never talked about him. Is he still alive?"

Draco shook his head. "He deserted the Dark Lord and ran off when he was 17. No one heard from him again."

Harry looked at the nameplate. Something about it struck him as important. "Regulus Arcturus..." he repeated.

Draco sprang forward. "RAB!" he exclaimed. "Harry, He's RAB!"

Harry's hands scrabbled at the pouch around his neck. He pulled out the fake locket Horcrux that he had stored there. A little slip of paper fell out of it.

"Do you think he destroyed it?" Harry asked as he examined the note.

"Let's find out." Draco turned the doorknob.

"Ron! Hermione!" Harry called down the landing as he stepped into the room. "Come up here!"

It wasn't until after they had searched Regulus' room that Hermione remembered the locket that they had found in a living room cabinet two years before. Anxiously they had searched Kreacher's cupboard, hoping desperately that he had saved it. But the cupboard was empty. Harry had summoned the ancient house elf, only to find that he had indeed saved the locket, but it had been stolen by Mundungus Fletcher.

* * *

"Umbridge!" Hermione exclaimed.

Ron fell back into a seat. "How are we going to get the locket from Umbridge?"

It had taken Kreacher three days to track down Mundungus and drag him back to Grimmauld Place. It had taken less than three minutes for the thief to dash their hopes of retrieving the locket.


	23. Locket

"Umbridge has the locket. The cup is in Bellatrix Lestrange's Gringotts Vault. You-Know-Who has the snake. The last Horcrux might be something of Ravenclaw's." Hermione recited the list for what felt like the millionth time.

"And I want to go to Godric's Hollow," Harry added.

"I still say we should find her in the Ministry and get the locket there," Ron said irritably. For a week they had been trapped in debate, and it was beginning to wear on his nerves.

"And I say that's idiotic," Draco growled. "Getting caught in the Ministry would be a death sentence for any of us."

"Do you have any better ideas?" Harry snapped. Kreacher looked up from the stove where he was making dinner.

Since the incident with Mundungus Kreacher had become surprisingly pleasant, helpful even. Harry had given the fake locket to the house elf as a gift, which seemed to make a great difference in his attitude. He was so grateful that he had taken to cooking and cleaning with a passion. Harry had never seen the house look so clean or well-lit.

"What about her house?" asked Hermione. "She doesn't live at the Ministry, does she? Besides, she's more likely to keep the locket at home than in her desk."

"We've been over that. We don't know where she lives," Ron retorted.

"What if we put the two together?" Harry ignored the confused gazes of his friends. "What if we watched the Ministry for where she comes out and followed her home?"

Draco contemplated the idea. "She probably apparates to the Ministry. Following her wouldn't be easy."

"We could grab her as she apparates," Ron suggested. "Then we end up wherever she is."

"We'd have to watch her first." Draco said warily. "It would only work if she apparates alone. And even then we'd have no idea what we're walking into on the other side."

Hermione nodded. "But we'd be prepared. And it is definitely better than going straight into the Ministry."

"That's settled then," Harry declared. "We'll watch Umbridge using my Invisibility Cloak, and we'll learn her habits. Then we'll follow her home one way or another, and we'll take the locket."

The month of August came and went quickly. The Hogwarts Express would be leaving tomorrow and all of the students felt a pang of regret that they would not be on it. Death Eaters had been watching Grimmauld Place, standing outside in the square and starting whenever they caught a glimpse of a misplaced foot or a dropped item.

For weeks they had been tracking Umbridge using Harry's Invisibility cloak. They discovered that she apparated to a point just outside the Ministry and followed a crowd of workers to a public toilet, where they promptly vanished. In the evening Ministry workers reappeared and streamed out of the toilet, headed for their pre-approved Apparition Zones. Umbridge, however, had a tendency to work late, missing her apparition group and returning alone later.

"It has to be tomorrow," Hermione insisted. "She'll be there extra late because of the start of school, I'm sure of it. I heard her talking about it today, she said it's putting all kinds of extra work on her department."

Draco nodded. "Did you get the last hair?"

Hermione held up a small vial containing the hair of a Ministry worker. She placed it carefully next to three others.

"Okay. Is everyone clear on the plan?" Harry glanced around the circle. The others nodded.

"Remember our contingency plan," Hermione said. "If we get separated we meet in 3 days, that'll be September 4, at the address I gave you for my parents. After that, if someone is still missing, we wait another 3 days and meet back here. No one can come back here before 6 days have passed." She took a deep breath before starting again. "And we have to remember to keep our Polyjuice with us, and to drink it every hour on the hour, and…"

"Hermione, we know the plan," Ron interrupted. He took her hand. "If we're really doing this tomorrow we need to relax. We can't be too worked up."

"Ron's right," Harry agreed. "Let's try to do something fun." He cast his eyes around the room, looking for something to do.

A smirk spread across Draco's face. "Hermione, did you bring those Uno cards?"

September first was cool and bright. The regular complement of Death Eaters staked outside of 12 Grimmauld Place had doubled overnight, as if they were expecting its occupants to emerge, trunks in hand, and head towards King's Cross Station.

The four occupants of Grimmauld Place were indeed planning on leaving that day, though the Death Eaters stationed outside would never know it. Shortly after noon they stepped carefully onto the front porch. Harry had his Invisibility Cloak, though it wasn't much good for four of them. Silently they joined hands, glancing one last time towards the hooded figures watching for them before disapparating.

They arrived several streets away from the Ministry. Immediately they dropped their hands and walked away from each other, towards their predetermined lookouts. Though they weren't close enough to talk, they were situated strategically in order to be within view of each other. They each settled down and cast a Disillusionment charm, except for Harry, who pulled on his cloak. They were invisible as they waited.

Harry glanced up at the large clock across the abandoned square from him. He took a drink from his vial of polyjuice potion and grimaced at the bitter rush of Ministry employees had come and gone hours ago. The air was becoming chilly as the sun set, leaving him to wonder if Umbridge was intending to leave the Ministry at all that night. He was restless.

Just as Harry contemplated the idea of moving from his hiding place and stretching his legs he heard footsteps approaching. He glanced towards the places where he knew his friends were hidden, hoping that they had heard as well. He thought he could make out a faint shimmer of movement from Ron.

A woman came around the corner. Harry shivered as her features came into view: a repulsive, toad-like face, a perpetual sneer, and altogether too much pink. He sighed in relief when he saw that she was alone.

A figure moved out of the shadows. "Dolores!" A male voice called enthusiastically. "I thought I was the only one here so late!"

Harry moved silently towards the pair. Draco continued to speak to their former professor, weeks of observations paying off as he flawlessly imitated the Ministry worker whose hair he had stolen.

"I'm just on my way home now," Umbridge said with a hint of what Harry assumed was meant to be a smile. "The start of the school term, you know. So much to do, especially with all those Muggles trying to get onto the train. It took a good deal of time to sort out their blood status."

The face that had replaced Draco's smiled. "You look exhausted. Why don't I accompany you home?"

A slight blush crept up Umbridge's face. "That won't be necessary," she said, "I'm headed straight to bed anyways."

"I insist," the dark-haired man pressed. Harry was surprised; they had agreed that if Umbridge refused Draco's offer, he was not to repeat it, and they would resort to more hostile methods to follow her. "At least let me see you safely home. Can't be too careful these days."

"Oh, alright," Umbridge gave in. "But just to apparate with me, I wouldn't want to make you any later getting home than you already are."

Draco smiled sweetly and offered his arm to the witch. "Lead the way then!"

Harry rushed forward to grab onto Draco. He felt another body next to his as he grabbed a handful robe. He held tight as he he felt the familiar sensation of swirling away, followed by the feeling of being squeezed through a tube.

They landed with a thud. Umbridge looked around in confusion. "That was strange," she muttered.

Draco was quick to jump in. "Dolores, I just noticed that lovely locket you're wearing." His hand waved beside him, poking Harry in the ribs. "Is that an S on it?"

Umbridge looked up. "Sorry, what was that? I'm afraid that apparition was a little rougher than usual."

"Your locket," Draco gestured at the chain hanging from her neck. Invisible, Harry snuck around in front of the pair. He was surprised to find a body already there.

"Oh, this?" Umbridge beamed as she held it out to him. "The S stands for Selwyn, cousins of mine. It's been in the family for generations."

Harry grimaced at the lie. He recognized the locket; it was the one that he had seen in Grimmauld Place two years earlier. Eagerly he reached out to grab it.

Umbridge jumped as a squeak escaped from her lips. The dark-haired man that was Draco gave her a curious look.

"I felt something touch my back," the woman explained, whirling around. "What's going on here?"

At that moment the chain of the locket fell from her neck, the clasp undone. Harry reached forward and snatched it out of her hand. He hid it quickly underneath the Invisibility Cloak.

Umbridge screamed as two figures appeared next to her. Quickly they grabbed the hands of the dark-haired man. Unseen, a fourth figure grabbed onto the arm of one of the others. A moment later they were gone, abandoning Umbridge to her shock.

"We got it!" Ron shouted as the door to Grimmauld Place slammed shut behind him. "We actually got the bloody Horcrux!"

Hermione smiled as her Polyjuice wore off. She threw her arms around Draco. "That was brilliant!" she exclaimed as she pulled away from him. "She had no idea what was happening!"

Harry turned the locket over in his hands and held it up to the others. He had thrown off the Invisibility Cloak at the door. "Only two more to find!" he crowed excitedly.

Draco smirked as he stared at the locket. "I told you Slytherin ways are the best."


	24. Big Plans

The locket was stored away safely in a leather pouch (procured by Kreacher) and stuffed inside Hermione's beaded bag. For the first few days they had taken turns wearing it, but they had quickly discovered that it soured their moods. It had been worst when Draco had worn it; after only a few minutes he had found himself tracing his Dark Mark with his finger, and had felt a nearly uncontrollable urge to press the locket against it. Hermione had taken it from him immediately and hidden it away.

Their elation over finding the locket was short-lived. There were, after all, still two more Horcruxes to find, one of which was hidden deep in Gringotts bank. And the locket was a constant reminder that even when the Horcruxes were found, they had no way to destroy them. The weeks slipped away as they remained locked in debate about their next step.

"There's no other way!" Draco slammed his hand onto the long wooden table. "We have to get into Gringotts, and the only way to do that is to look like her!"

Harry sighed and rested his head in his hands. This debate had been raging for weeks now. "Draco, we can't let you go back to the Manor. What if You-Know-Who is there? What if you got caught?"

"You said it yourself," Draco answered. "He isn't there, he's flying around who knows where. I know my way around the Manor, I can get in, grab a hair and get out."

Harry looked up at Hermione in exasperation. "There has to be another way!"

Hermione chewed on her lip. "Harry, I've been thinking about it. He's right. It's not like we can just walk up to Gringotts and ask to be let into Bellatrix Lestrange's vault. Polyjuice really is the only choice. And for that we need her hair."

"We can't just let him go into the Manor alone though!" Ron exclaimed. "I don't care how well you know it Draco, it's full of Death Eaters!"

Draco shook his head. "I'll take the Invisibility cloak. No one will even know that I'm there."

"What if You-Know-Who comes back?" Harry asked. "What then? Believe it or not we actually care about you, Draco! None of us wants you to get hurt!"

"If He comes back He'll call the Death Eaters, and I'll know." Draco held up his left arm. "But no one has used their Mark in weeks! Not since Halloween. This is the safest it's going to get!"

Harry sighed. "We can't let you do this, Draco," he said. "We're a team. We can't let you risk everything for the rest of us." There was silence around the table.

"I'll go with him." Three faces looked at Ron in surprise. "You're right Harry, we're a team. And we can't let Draco do this, not alone. I'll go with him and watch his back."

"Ron!"" Hermione let out a little squeak.

"No, Ron," Harry said thoughtfully. "I'll go. I'm better at dueling, it makes more sense."

"No it doesn't," Draco broke in. "If anyone is going with me it has to be Ron." He glanced at Harry and Hermione. "His family are blood traitors, but at least they're pure bloods. If either of you got caught you would be killed. Or worse. Ron and I can lie about changing our minds and wanting to join them. It wouldn't be good, but it would be better than anything they would do to either of you."

Hermione nodded slowly, her face scrunched in thought. ""I hate to say it, but it does make sense," she admitted.

"So when are we going?" Ron asked.

Draco glanced at the clock above them. "Right now." he stood up. "It's late enough now that everyone should be in their rooms, or at least they're not likely to be wandering around." He turned towards Harry. "Where's the Invisibility Cloak?"  
Harry sighed and stood up. He grabbed the cloak from the chair next to him and passed it to Draco.

"Be careful, both of you," he said as they walked towards the door. "You're my best friends. I don't want either of you to get hurt."

Draco smiled tightly as Ron and Hermione broke off from them at the door. "We'll be back before you know it," he promised. "Besides, you should be proud. This is totally a Gryffindor plan. You lot are rubbing off on me."

Harry smirked. "I thought you said Gryffindor plans are stupid?"

"I did," Draco smirked back, "But I've made some Slytherin adjustments to this one. It's not so bad now." He reached around to Ron and peeled him away from Hermione. "We've got to go, Weasley."

Ron followed Draco to the door before turning back to Harry and Hermione. "Don't worry about us," he assured. "We'll be back before you know it." A serious expression crossed his face. "If anything goes wrong I'll send you one of those talking Patronuses."

Ron and Draco disappeared beneath the Invisibility cloak. The door swung open, then shut again. A faint crack could be heard through it, and they were gone.

Harry and Hermione paced the hall nervously. After a while Hermione disappeared, only to return a moment later with a book clutched tightly in her hands. Harry was surprised to see that it was Tales of Beedle the Bard, the children's book that Dumbledore had left to her in his paced back and forth, her nose buried in the pages.

Harry heard a sound outside. He ran towards the door just as it was thrown open from the outside. Laughter came floating into the house, pulling Hermione out of her book. The Invisibility cloak fell to the side, revealing Ron and Draco huddled together and laughing happily. Harry gave them a baffled look.

"Did you get the hair?" Hermione asked anxiously.

"Better, mate!" Ron answered, still chuckling. "We got two!"

Draco and Ron each held up a hand. There was a curly, brown hair clutched between Ron's fingers. Harry peered closely to see the long blond one in Draco's hand.

"She was talking to my father," Draco explained, gesturing towards the blond hair with his free hand. "This way it'll look even better, Lucius Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange."

Harry resisted the urge to jump into the air in elation. Instead he gave Ron a quizzical look. "Why are you laughing?"  
"You should have seen the look on their faces!" Ron exclaimed. "Draco got his dad's hair first. He thought it was Bellatrix and started glaring at her!"

Draco imitated the look. "Bellatrix Lestrange, stop touching me!" he mocked. "They sounded like children bickering!"

Harry snickered.

Hermione conjured two small vials and handed them to Ron and Draco. "Did anyone see you?"

Draco shook his head. "We went in through a secret passage I found years ago. No one had any idea we were there."

Ron passed his vial back to Hermione. "You should see that place!" he exclaimed. "It's huge! You could probably hide in there for weeks and no one would even notice."

Draco chuckled. "It was weird to see it again. I think I actually forgot what it's like to live with civilized people." His smirk faded. "Though, my definition of civilized has changed." He looked at his friends as he handed back the vial.

"So," Ron started, "when do we go to Gringotts?"

The preparation for their robbery had to be immaculate. In the entire history of Gringotts only one attempt at breaking in had been successful, and that had been by Voldemort himself. Harry hoped desperately that their weeks of preparations would make their attempt the second to succeed.

Ron was laughing as Harry walked into the living room. Hermione was standing in the center of the room glaring at him as Draco stood stiffly next to her, his face an emotionless mask.

"How's it going?" Harry asked.

"You should've seen her!" Ron giggled. "She was flailing her arms everywhere and talking in this ridiculous voice!"

"That's because I'm supposed to, you prat! I'm imitating Bellatrix!"

"And doing a fine job," Draco said calmly, clearly imitating his father. "The woman is crazy, and I'm afraid that anyone who imitated her would appear to be equally so."

"How do you do that?" Hermione asked him. "It's so hard for me to act like Bellatrix, but you can just become anyone you want to."

Draco dropped his act and shrugged. "Years of practice. Just being yourself isn't an option in pureblood society. All of us get really good at turning ourselves off and pretending to be something different. After that it's easy to take on someone else."

Hermione frowned "That's sad. It must be really easy to lose yourself."

"You get used to it. It still feels weird to relax like this around all of you. Nice though."

Harry smiled as he poked Ron on the shoulder. "We have to go. Besides, I don't think Hermione likes being laughed at." Hermione scowled at them as Ron stood up and followed Harry out.

Harry threw the Invisibility cloak over them as they stepped through the door. After the school term started the Death Eaters had given up on watching the house constantly, but they continued to use the Invisibility cloak as a precaution. Draco was sure that he had seen people he recognized as Death Eaters walking by from the window, and Hermione knew that she had spotted several Ministry members on the street.

Ron apparated himself and Harry from the top step. With a crack they landed in the middle of a crowded storage room.

"Is it time?" Ron whispered.

Harry nodded. "They should be here any second." He turned as he heard a rustling behind a stack of boxes.

"Listen, George, I think we have a couple of rats in our storage room!" Harry smiled as the owner of the familiar voice came into view.

"I think you're right Fred! We'll have to exterminate them!" George's mouth was open in a wide smile. "Though we might have some trouble finding them. They seem to be invisible."

Harry pulled off the cloak. "Fred! George! It's so good to see you!"

"Good to see you too Harry!" Fred answered. "And you, I suppose." He smiled at Ron. "How's fighting good old No-Nose going?"

"A lot better once we get whatever you found for us," Ron answered.

George picked up a stack of books that was sitting on a nearby box. "You should've seen the looks people gave us when we got these. It's like they thought we've never read a book before."

"What exactly do you need books about Gringotts for anyways?" Fred asked suspiciously. "Planning something?"

Harry shook his head as he grabbed the books. "We can't tell you anything. Thanks so much for the help though. These will make things loads easier."

"Always happy to help," Fred replied. "This whole thing is making business slow anyways."

"That reminds me," George said. He picked up the box that the books had been sitting on. "We figured you could put some of our products to good use. Merry Christmas!"

Harry looked at Ron with wide eyes. He had forgotten that Christmas was coming. "Er, thanks," he stammered. "Sorry we don't have anything for you."

Fred waved his hand. "You're fighting for us. That's the best gift you could give."

Harry and Ron said goodbye to the twins before throwing the cloak over themselves and apparating back to Grimmauld Place.


	25. Christmas at Grimmauld Place

When Hermione realized that Christmas was coming she insisted on celebrating it. Draco thought that it was a ridiculous distraction. Silently Harry agreed with him; they had far more important things to worry about. However, when he saw the look of glee that lit up Ron's face at the suggestion of celebrating, Harry decided that a small distraction might actually help to bolster the mood in Grimmauld Place. Before he knew it he found himself searching the attic for the decorations that Sirius had put up two years before.

"A little more to the left, I think," Hermione directed. Harry glanced at Draco and rolled his eyes. A smirk lit up Draco's face as he positioned the long garland where Hermione directed.

Ron walked into the room, his mouth open in something between awe and laughter. "Think you're overdoing it on the mistletoe?"

Harry stifled a laugh as Draco slid his wand out of sight up his sleeve. He had multiplied a sprig of mistletoe hung in the corner. Now there was a large clump of it hanging directly above Hermione, moving along with her.

Hermione glanced up and glared at the ceiling. "Very funny, Draco," she said dryly.

"How do you know it wasn't Harry?" Draco's smirk grew even wider.

Hermione glared straight at Draco. "Because Harry isn't that good at hiding his wand."

"Hey! I'm right here!"

Draco turned his smirk on Harry. "Hear that Potter? I'm better than the precious Chosen One!" He ducked as Harry threw a large ornament at him. It crashed into the wall and shattered into a thousand pieces.

Ron shook his head as he waved his wand to clean up the mess. "I can't believe you two!"

It was Harry's turn to smirk. Lately Ron had made a point of being the mature one in an obvious attempt to impress Hermione. They had to admit, it did seem to be working.

Hermione smiled at Ron as she dispelled the clump of mistletoe above her head. "Thank you for cleaning up." She turned to look at Harry and Draco and gasped.

"What's wrong?" Three voices asked at once.

"Right there!" Hermione exclaimed. "Don't move, either of you!"

Harry wandered around the house on Christmas Eve. He was amazed by the transformation that the decorations had wrought on the normally gloomy interior. There were wreaths hanging on every door and garlands strung down the hallways. Hermione had even decorated the curtains covering the portrait of Sirius' mother. Best of all were the paper chains that they had made as a group that were draped from the bannister. He smiled as he saw the books that Fred and George had found from them, pushed to the side and barely opened. He was glad that Hermione had insisted on them taking a break from planning to celebrate the holiday.

He stepped into the living room where enchanted candles twinkled from the small tree. They had been surprised when Kreacher appeared with the tree, bent nearly double in an effort to support it. Hermione had glared at the boys angrily, demanding who ordered him to get them a tree.

"We didn't need a tree!" she had declared. "And besides, we could have gotten one ourselves! Kreacher didn't have to hurt himself getting one!"

"Kreacher did not hurt himself," the house elf replied in a perturbed tone. "And Kreacher was not ordered to get a tree. Kreacher got a tree to help decorate the house!"

Ron laughed. "See Hermione? Even Kreacher is getting into the Christmas spirit!"

Hermione put her hand to her mouth as Harry took the tree. "Thank-you Kreacher!" she exclaimed. The house elf backed away as Hermione advanced towards him, her arms open as if for a hug.

"Kreacher likes the young master," the old house elf had declared. "Christmas should be a special occasion for Harry Potter and his friends."

Hermione dropped her arms and smiled instead. "I know just the place for it!"

Harry grinned at the memory as he pushed three small packages beneath the tree. These he had asked Kreacher for. He frowned in surprise as he noticed a small pile of presents already waiting there. Kreacher must have been very busy running errands for them the last few days.

Christmas day dawned bright and clear. Harry woke up to find a purple jumper sitting at the end of his bed. He glanced across the room to see that a grey-blue one was waiting for Draco. He looked at the jumper curiously. It couldn't be from Mrs. Weasley; she didn't know where they were, and sending an owl to any of them was far too risky. Even the owls that they had exchanged with Fred and George about the Gringotts books had been done in complete secrecy. He lifted the jumper and a note fell to the floor.

 _Merry Christmas Harry!_  
 _Since Mrs. Weasley couldn't make us jumpers I did instead. Ron and I are waiting for you downstairs._

 _Hermione_

Harry grinned and pulled the jumper on over his pyjamas before throwing a pillow at Draco. "Oy! Wake up, it's Christmas!"

Draco blinked blearily as he sat up. He noticed the jumper at the end of his bed and gave Harry a questioning look.

"Gifts from Hermione," Harry replied, holding up the note. "Let's get downstairs!"

Draco mirrored Harry in pulling the jumper over his pyjamas. "I didn't know Hermione can knit."

Harry chuckled. "You should've seen her in fifth year, it's all she ever did! She got this idea that if she hid hats and socks around the common room the house elves who found them would be freed. Instead they stopped cleaning Gryffindor Tower, and Dobby took all of them and piled them on top of each other. He looked ridiculous!"

Draco laughed. "He always was a weird elf. I wish I had seen that!"

Hermione and Ron were waiting by the tree. As Harry and Draco came into the room Kreacher bustled over and presented each of them with a plate piled high with breakfast.

"Thanks Kreacher," Harry mumbled as he bit into his toast. "This is delicious!"

"Not as delicious as the feast that Kreacher is making for Christmas dinner!" The old house elf beamed with pride.

Harry smiled and reached into his pocket. "This is for you," he said as he withdrew a small silver figurine. "I found it in Regulus' room and thought you might like to keep it.

Kreacher left the room after many thanks, beaming and carrying his gift proudly.

Ron rubbed his hands together. "Let's open our presents now!"

It seemed that they had reached an unspoken agreement: no Christmas gifts were to be things that were meant to be practical. As a result the group found themselves having a good deal of fun as they opened books, toys, and joke items from Fred and George's shop. Soon snarling frisbees were flying up and down the hall as Hermione smiled into a new novel and Draco played with a remote controlled car that Harry had managed to acquire from a muggle shop. It seemed like hardly any time had passed before Kreacher called them to dinner.

Harry heard Hermione gasp as she stepped into the dining room. He gazed at the large table, impressed by Kreacher's ability. A turkey sat in the center, flanked by potatoes, gravy, and stuffing, cranberry sauce, and at least four different types of vegetables. His mouth watered.

"Pull my cracker!" Draco said eagerly. He held it up to Harry, who gave it a tug. Instantly it burst open, scattering what Harry recognized as Fred and George's edible glitter across both of their places. Across the table Ron and Hermione pulled one as well, shooting off miniature fireworks.

Harry smiled in contentment as he loaded up his plate. Christmas had never felt so special.


	26. Gringotts

The break-in at Gringotts was planned for January second.

After Christmas Hermione returned to her books with a passion. Draco usually sat with her, examining and debating information. This left Harry and Ron to put away the Christmas decorations.

"The Fool's Downfall," Hermione pointed at a picture. "Washes away all enchantments. If we get caught in it we'll lose our disguises and we won't be able to get out."

Draco nodded. But they only activate it along with other anti-theft measures. " He pointed lower down the page. "As long as we don't make them suspicious we won't have to worry about it."

Harry glanced up from a page Hermione had told him to read. "How are we going to identify ourselves?"

"We won't." Draco responded. "We just have to be confident. Bellatrix Lestrange and Lucius Malfoy are two of the most recognizable Death Eaters. If we look like them, and we act like them, we can insist that they don't need to see our identification."

There was a crash as Ron dropped a stack of garlands. "And if they decide they want to see your wands anyways?"

"Imperius."

Hermione gasped. "We can't use an Unforgivable!"

Draco scowled at her. "This is just like the bloody dragon. We're robbing a bank, we can and we will do whatever we have to to make it work!"

"He's right," Harry answered Hermione's angry glare. "We have to get in one way or another. The best we can do is make sure we don't hurt anyone." He shifted his eyes to Draco. "I should be the one to use it though. Under the cloak. It'll be a lot less suspicious than you waving your wand around."

Draco sighed. "Do you even know how?" Harry shook his head. "Weasley, get over here. We need to practice." He reached for his wand as Ron protested.

* * *

Finally the day came. Early in the morning Hermione gathered up all of their things and placed them in her beaded bag. She would carry it with her in case they were unable to return to Grimmauld Place. She took Ron to the kitchen and began to transfigure his face. He would be accompanying them in disguise, playing the role of a lesser Death Eater. Harry would be hidden under the Invisibility cloak.

When Ron was finished Hermione and Draco went to change, each nervously clutching a vial of Polyjuice potion. By the time they returned to the hallway they had transformed into Bellatrix Lestrange and Lucius Malfoy.

"Ready then?" Harry asked as he swung the cloak around his shoulders. Draco slowly pulled the door open and peered into the square. It was empty. He gestured them forward as he walked onto the front step.

"Let's go."

With a crack they disapparated.

Harry stumbled as they landed. He felt a hand catch his arm and smiled up at Ron.

"You okay?" Ron whispered. Harry remembered with a shock that Ron couldn't see him.

"I'm fine." He glanced around. They were standing in front of the Leaky Cauldron. Quickly they pushed the door open and walked through to the entrance to Diagon Alley.

Diagon Alley was nothing like Harry had ever seen it before. Instead of bustling and busy it was empty and dirty. Bits of newspaper fluttered down the street. The shops were closed. The only people in sight were huddled into the doorways of empty shops, ragged and dirty.

"The Wandless," Draco whispered as they stood by the entrance. "They did this last time. The Ministry's taking the wands of Muggleborns and leaving them on the streets." He shivered. "I used to think this is where they belong."

There was a whoosh as the entrance opened and another man walked through. Harry watched as Ron and Draco both drew closer to Hermione protectively. The stranger cast one glance towards them and scurried by.

Harry followed silently as the group walked down the street. Hermione's lessons with Draco had paid off; she acted like the witch whose appearance she had taken in every way. Draco was walking with his back straight and his head held high, the picture of his father.

Harry let out a breath as he stepped into Gringotts. He had had to confund the guards at the entrance to keep the from detecting him with their Probity Probes. Now that they were inside there really was no turning back.

Draco stepped up to the counter and cleared his throat. The goblin there continued writing without looking up. "Identification."

"I hardly think that will be necessary." The drawling voice of Lucius Malfoy echoed around the room.

The goblin set down his quill. "Mr. Malfoy," his eyes travelled to Hermione, "Mrs. Lestrange. How can we be of your service today?"

"I would like to access my vault," Hermione declared. Her voice was not as confident as Draco's.

"Very well. Wand please." The goblin held out his hand.

There was a brief moment where Hermione hesitated, Draco looked concerned, and Ron's face went white. Then Harry pulled his wand from his sleeve and with a practiced flick, put the goblin under his control.

"Very well, Mrs. Lestrange," the goblin said. He turned to a second goblin at a seat behind him. "Fetch the clankers!"

A minute later they were crowded into a cart and zooming down the tracks deep into the bank. The Imperiused goblin didn't find it strange that one corner of the cart was occupied by an invisible form.

Finally the cart came to a halt. Ron helped Hermione out as the goblin reached down to retrieve the metal objects that he had called clankers. He handed one to Draco who began to shake it fervently.

Hermione scowled as she spotted the white dragon chained to the ground. Draco had told them about it as a part of their planning. It was the last line of defence against the high security vaults and would attack anyone who came near it. The goblins used the clankers to train it; when it heard the sound it cowered away, expecting pain.

"For the last time, Granger, we can't save the dragon," Draco hissed as he noticed the expression on Hermione's face.

"But the poor thing-"

"After the war," Ron whispered as he came up beside her. "I'll help you. We'll set it free and make sure they can never get another one."

Hermione looked at Ron with tears in her eyes. She seemed dangerously close to hugging him when Draco poked her in the side. "Your vault, _Bellatrix_ ," he hissed.

The goblin stroked the door with his palm and it vanished. "I will be waiting outside for you to complete your business." He stepped to the side.

Harry looked around in amazement as he walked into the vault. It was massive, and filled with gold, coins, and what he assumed were family artifacts.

"Up there," Draco pointed, a look of relief spreading across his face. A golden cup with two handles sat on a shelf. Harry could just make out a badger etched into it.

"I'll grab it!" Hermione exclaimed as she leaned onto a vase that sat atop a pile of gold. Suddenly she jumped away, rubbing her hand as it multiplied into a dozen identical vases.

"Stop!" Draco exclaimed. "There are Gemino and Flagrante wards on everything in here. Anything you touch will burn and multiply."

Hermione frowned as she rubbed at the burn on her hand. "How are we going to get it from way up there without touching anything? We can't Accio it."

Draco squinted at the cup. "I wonder…" his voice trailed off as he reached down and touched a galleon near his foot. He laughed as nothing happened.

"Why can you touch it?" Ron asked.

"They haven't actually disinherited me. I realized when we went to the Manor. If they had we would've never been able to use that passage in without them knowing."

Hermione cast a glare at Draco. "What would have happened if they had?"

Draco shrugged. "That's not important. I'm sure my parents put up all kinds of safeguards against me in their own vault, but they forgot that they added me as authorised to this one years ago."

"Well then, why don't you climb up there and get the bloody Horcrux?"

Draco smirked at Ron. "I think I will."

A minute later Draco had retrieved the cup. Hermione wrapped it in a pouch and stuffed it into her magically expanded bag before they stepped out to meet the goblin.

They zoomed back up the tracks feeling elated. Hermione's bag held two Horcruxes, and only one was left to find. Harry couldn't help but smile at their excellent luck. Draco distracted the guards at the doors to the bank long enough for him to walk past undetected, and the group walked together down the long staircase.

They had just turned to walk down Diagon Alley when a voice startled them.

"Lucius? Bellatrix?" Draco's face drained of all colour as he slowly turned around. Harry followed his gaze.

Standing on the stairs of the bank, watching them suspiciously, was the one thing they never could have prepared for.

Narcissa Malfoy.


	27. Into the Woods

"Narcissa," Draco took a small step towards his mother. "Bellatrix and I had to visit Gringotts."

Narcissa glared at the group suspiciously. "No," she whispered, "I don't believe that you did have to. In fact, I know exactly where my husband and sister are." She started to walk towards them. "And I know very well that they are not in Diagon Alley."

An arm hit Harry in the stomach. He grabbed it and held tightly as Hermione reached towards Draco, Ron already holding tight to the blond's other hand. With a twist they disapparated.

But something was wrong. Harry could feel something tugging at them. The door of Grimmauld Place flashed in front of him and he fell to the ground on the front step, panting. He felt hands pull at him as the door swung open.

The front hall was filled with screaming as the portrait of Sirius' mother came to life. Harry cast his eyes around, trying to understand what was happening.

Hermione, looking like herself again, was standing with her wand pointed towards Draco, who had his hand twisted behind his back. Ron, still disguised, was backed into a corner, his wand on the floor across the hall.

"Grimmauld Place," Narcissa Malfoy said as she walked out from behind her son. The last bits of the Polyjuice left Draco and his face faded back into his own. "I should've known. Of course you would be hiding here." She stepped away from Draco and pointed her wand towards Hermione. "A mudblood," she spat as she surveyed the group. "And Potter himself over by the stairs, from the sound of it. I know we taught you better than this, Draco." Her gaze softened as she looked at her son. "You know, even without the Polyjuice, you look so much like your father."

Draco's face distorted with rage. "You taught me hate! I believed your lies! You watched as father taught me dark magic when I was a child. A child! And when I begged you to come with me you refused! We could have been safe together!"

Harry groped carefully for his wand, knowing that Narcissa could hear his movements.

"Draco, please, we taught you what we believe!" Narcissa implored. "We love you Draco. I love you. More than you can imagine." She took a step towards Draco, being careful to keep her wand hand far away from him.

Harry watched as Narcissa stepped closer to Draco, his wand pointed towards her.

"Draco, come back to me." Her wand hand drooped as she touched Draco's cheek.

"Stupefy!" Harry darted forward and scooped up Ron's wand as Narcissa flew backwards down the hall. He grabbed Draco and Hermione, who was clinging tightly to Ron, and spun on the spot as Hermione apparated them away.

They appeared in a forest. Draco collapsed to the ground, tears streaming down his face. Harry put his hand awkwardly on his shoulder as Hermione began to move around the group, erecting wards to keep them safe.

"We can't go back there," Hermione said as she walked back to the boys. "When Dumbledore died we became secret keepers, which means we just gave it away. It's not safe anymore."

"Where are we?" Ron asked.

"The woods where the Quidditch cup was held," Hermione answered softly. "It was the first place I could think of. She sank to the ground in front of Draco and gently rested her hand on his leg. He grabbed it with his own and she leaned in to give him a long hug. "You're so strong, Draco," she said as she pulled away and helped him to his feet. "I have a tent in my bag. Let's set it up and then we can all sit down and talk." Draco nodded numbly and helped Harry and Ron to put up the tent.

Harry was surprised to see that he recognized the tent. It was the same one that Mr. Weasley had borrowed for the Quidditch cup years earlier. It was quite roomy on the inside, complete with a kitchen, eating area, small living room, and bathroom. Hermione coughed nervously as they sat down.

"I didn't think we'd ever actually need to use this, and well-" she stuttered. "There's only two bedrooms. Someone will have to share with me." Her face flushed a deep red.

Harry looked at Ron. "Draco and I are happy to share."

Ron nodded. "I'll be a complete gentleman," he promised.

Harry turned towards Draco. Tears were running down his face and there was a vacant expression in his eyes.

"Draco?" Hermione called softly. He looked at her with a startled expression. "We're all here for you."

A tear slid from Draco's eye and dripped off his chin. "I haven't seen her in a year and a half," he whispered hoarsely.

Harry moved towards Draco and put a hand on his shoulder. "She's safe. At least you know that."

Draco ran a hand through his hair. "I can never go back."

Uncomfortable silence settled over the room as Draco dried his tears. He stood and walked towards one of the bedrooms. He pulled the door shut behind him.

Ron broke the silence. "Do we have any food?"

Hermione was startled out of her thoughts. "Yes. I brought some with us, just in case. It should be enough for a few days, but after that…"

Harry sighed and stood up. "After that we'll just have to do whatever we can. I have a little muggle money left, and plenty of wizarding money, though we can't exactly go to Diagon Alley. They know that we're running now."

"I have muggle money," Hermione said. "Enough for us to get by for a while. We can keep camping in the woods, and go into towns every few days to buy some food. It'll be tough, but we'll be okay."

Harry took a plate full of food to Draco that evening. Hermione was a good cook, and they sat in silence while Draco ate. To Harry's relief he was looking significantly better than earlier, and seemed to have come to terms with his confrontation with his mother.

"That was really good," Draco declared as he set aside his plate. "Thank you." He sighed. "I didn't mean to run away. I just… needed to be alone for a while. Today was really hard."

Harry nodded solemnly. "I know. We all know."

Draco sniffed. "Sometimes I'm jealous of them. When this is all over, if we're still alive, Ron can go home to his family, and Hermione can go to Australia and find her parents. And they'll still love them, and still want them. And they'll think that they're heroes. But to my parents I'll always be the enemy. And I'll be alone."

"You'll never be alone," Harry said. "I don't have any family to go home to either. If we manage to make it through this we'll need to be there for each other."

A small smile pricked at Draco's lips.

They stayed in the forest for several days before packing up the tent. Harry thought that it would be best if they didn't stay anywhere too long and the others agreed. Not only were they at the top of Voldemort's wanted list, they were carrying around two Horcruxes. If they were caught all would be lost.

Every few days one of them would go into a muggle town, either heavily transfigured or hidden under the Invisibility cloak, to buy several days worth of groceries. It was never the same town twice, and they didn't dare buy too much, afraid that it would make them look suspicious. Ron and Draco had to have Muggle money explained to them each time it was their turn.

The weeks stretched on. Harry wanted to go to Godric's Hollow, the place where both he and Dumbledore had once lived. But Hermione insisted, and he agreed, that it was too dangerous to go somewhere personal so soon after being seen.

So they waited, camping in the woods. Hermione and Draco buried themselves in the books Dumbledore had given them, scanning for hidden clues. Harry and Ron spent their days in debate about where to obtain Basilisk venom and the location of the final Horcrux.

Harry continued to have visions of Voldemort's activity. He was searching desperately for something. He had already interrogated Ollivander, as well as another, older wandmaker named Gregorovitch.

* * *

As February wore on tempers began to grow short. Their situation with food only aggravated the problem. Though they always had something to eat, it wasn't always particularly appetizing, and it often wasn't nearly as much as they would have liked.

Harry, used to not having much at the Dursley's, dealt with the lack of food rather well. Hermione, being quite stubborn, refused to acknowledge her hunger. Ron, who was used to his mother's cooking, and Draco, who had never wanted for anything, did not handle their circumstances so well. Both boys became moody and grumpy when supplies were running low.

"Isn't it time to go into town yet?" Draco asked one night over a meager plate of rice and vegetables. "This is bloody awful."

Hermione glanced at him as she chewed on her lip. "I think we can go tomorrow. I found another town that we haven't been to yet. It should be safe."

"Oh great, so we can skulk around a slightly different countryside," Ron muttered.

"What do you mean by that?" Hermione demanded.

"We've been wandering around the country doing nothing useful for almost two months!" Ron shouted. "You-Know-Who is out there hunting and killing people we love, and we're doing a fat load of nothing!"

"We found two Horcruxes," Hermione retorted. "That's far from nothing. Besides, what did you think we'd be doing? Stay in hotels, be done by Christmas? Who knows how long we'll be out here! We need to stay safe!"

"We found two horcruxes, now we need to keep going!" Draco stood up, banging his knee against the table. "We're no closer to getting rid of them than ever!" He began to pull at his hair as he paced across the tent. "We can't hide and do nothing forever!"

"We have to stay safe!" Hermione insisted. "If we get caught there's no point to any of this!"

"There's no point if we don't do anything!" Ron bellowed.

Harry stood up, his hand held in the air. "Listen, Hermione," he said, "Ron and Draco are right. It's been almost two months since Narcissa saw us. We have to do something."

Hermione glared at him. "And what exactly do you suggest we do? We don't know where the last Horcrux is, and the only Basilisk venom we know of is at the bottom of the Chamber of Secrets!"

"We need to go to Godric's Hollow," Harry insisted. "I lived there, and Dumbledore lived there. I'm sure that there must be some sort of answer waiting for us."

"Don't forget that Bagshot woman," Ron cut in. "We already know that she knows plenty about Dumbledore." He took a deep breath and turned to Hermione. "Look, I'm sorry for shouting. But really Hermione, we can't wait forever. And I think Harry's right about there being answers there."

Draco paced back to the table. "It's the only lead we have. We have to go, or else we'll just spend the rest of our lives on the run in a tent."

Hermione glanced around before looking down at the table. "You're right. We'll go to Godric's Hollow. But not until it's dark. There's no reason to take unnecessary risks."


	28. Godric's Hollow

They apparated to the edge of Godric's Hollow. Harry squinted as cottages came into view on either side of the narrow street.

"It looks so peaceful," Hermione remarked as she stepped into a shadowed area. "But we can't let our guards down."

Ron stepped forward to take her hand. "We'll be fine, Hermione. We all know how to take care of ourselves."

Harry stared down the street. "There's a chapel up there," he whispered. "I can see it. I wonder…"

Hermione turned back to him with a small smile. "Let's go look."

Slowly they walked up the deserted street, past a small pub from which drifted the sound of laughter. A fence surrounded the chapel, walling in the small graveyard that could be seen beyond it. With a glance over her shoulder Hermione spelled the gate open and they stepped silently through.

"Where would they be?" Ron asked as he began to walk up and down the neat rows of headstones, still clasping Hermione's hand. Draco walked towards a cluster of stones that looked particularly old.

Harry wandered up and down the rows of graves, searching desperately for his parents. They must be here, he knew it. He paused as he reached a dark, lichen-covered stone. _Kendra Dumbledore_. Beneath the dates of her birth and death there was a small inscription: _and her daughter Ariana._ So it was true, Dumbledore had lived here.

"Hermione, look," Draco called out. Harry snapped his head in the direction of the voice.

"What is it?" Harry asked as he peered at the stone Hermione and Draco were staring at. It was old, possibly one of the oldest in the graveyard.

"This symbol," Draco pointed at a strange triangular shape. "Isn't this what you were showing me the other day? In Beedle the Bard?"

Hermione nodded slowly. "Yes, I think so. A circle in a triangle, with a line pointing through it. Why is it here?"

"I think I've seen that somewhere before," Ron mused.

"Luna's dad was wearing it at Bill and Fleur's wedding," Harry said. "I thought it was just a strange necklace. What could it mean?"

Ron shrugged. "Who knows. Let's keep looking. I was getting close… to the right date. Over there." He pointed as he led Harry away from the ancient grave.

Finally, they found them: the graves of Lily and James Potter. For a moment Harry mourned silently, regretting that he hadn't brought anything to leave for them. As if she had read his mind, Hermione waved her wand, producing a beautiful flower bouquet for Harry to lay down. Silently he turned and left the graveyard, his friends trailing behind as tears streamed down his face.

Draco ran to catch up and put his hand on Harry's shoulder. "Where to now?"

Ron came up on Harry's other side. "My parents brought me here years ago," he said. "The house - your house, Harry, is still here. They've left it as a memorial. Do you want to see it?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah, I'd like that."

"I think it's this way."

Harry took in Godric's Hollow; the narrow country lanes, the war memorial that changed to a statue of his family as he passed, the house that his parents died in. He felt that his heart would burst as he read the messages written on the plaque outside the decrepit cottage.

 _Be strong Harry._

 _Fight for all of us._

 _You give us hope Harry._

"Should we write anything?" Ron asked.

"If we left a message You-Know-Who would know we've been here," Hermione said. "We can't risk it."

Harry heard a sound behind him and whirled around, his wand springing to his hand. Beside him Draco did the same. Both boys peered intently into the darkness.

From the shadows a figure emerged, beckoning towards them. It was a woman, stooped with age. Harry exchanged a quick glance with Draco.

"Bathilda?" Draco asked, "Bathilda Bagshot?"

The woman nodded and beckoned again before turning and walking back up the street.

"Follow her," Draco hissed quietly.

"We're right behind you," Hermione affirmed.

Harry followed the woman down the street towards a small cottage. As she stepped into the doorway she turned again to beckon towards him.

"You knew Dumbledore, didn't you?" Harry asked as he stepped into the house. "You gave Rita Skeeter information about him."

The woman nodded slowly and turned towards the stairs. Ron stepped inside after Harry and grimaced.

"It smells bloody awful in here," he observed in a low voice.

Draco wrinkled his nose. "Something doesn't seem right."

"I think she has something to tell me." Harry started towards the stairs.

"I'll come with you mate," Ron said, stepping forwards.

At Ron's voice the old woman turned around and hissed. She pointed towards Harry.

"I guess she only wants me," Harry said.

"Be careful," Hermione said, her face screwed up in thought. "Draco's right, there's something strange going on here."

"I'll yell if I need help," Harry promised. He followed the woman up the stairs.

"This way," the old woman said as she stepped into a room. Harry followed, his hand shoved deep in his pocket as he played with his wand.

"Have you got anything for me?" Harry asked as the door swung shut, plunging them into darkness. He pulled out his wand and lit the tip of it.

The woman was standing disturbingly close to him. He took a step back as her eyes bored into him. The smell that seemed to permeate the house was stronger than ever.

"Are you Potter?"

Harry nodded. "Yes. Now, have you got anything for me? From Dumbledore?"

The woman closed her eyes, a look of intense concentration coming across her face. Harry shifted as he felt his scar prickle. A strange sense of elation swept over him.

There was a bang from downstairs, followed by a shout. Harry backed away from the woman as he heard footsteps racing up the stairs.

"Do you have anything to tell me?" he asked, his voice higher than usual. "I know Dumbledore trusted you. I know you knew him, and I know you talked to Rita Skeeter about him." The footsteps reached the top of the stairs.

"Harry!" Draco's voice was sharp with worry. "Harry, get out!"

Harry reached back and turned the doorknob, keeping his eyes on the woman. Draco barrelled into the room, his wand drawn. Ron and Hermione followed, confused looks spreading across both their faces.

"He is coming" the woman hissed. With a shock Harry realized that she truly had hissed, in Parseltongue. A moment later he felt a sudden urge to vomit, as the skin of the old woman peeled aside to reveal a giant, scaled snake.

A burst of light shot past Harry as he stared at the creature in shock. He lifted his wand.

"Confringo!" The snake reeled backwards to avoid the curse.

"It's You-Know-Who's snake," Draco shouted. "We have to get away!"

"Kill the snake!" Ron screamed. "We have to kill it!"

Harry's knees buckled as his scar burned. He couldn't see straight. He felt a hand grab onto him, then everything went black.

* * *

Harry woke to find himself lying on something soft. Groaning, he turned over and opened his eyes.

"Harry?" Hermione's voice asked. A moment later she came around the edge of the bed and into view. "You're awake! How do you feel?"

"Awful," Harry answered. "What happened?"

Hermione fiddled with her wand. "It was all a trap. You-Know-Who sent his snake, Draco says it's named Nagini, to watch your parents' grave. It killed Bathilda Bagshot, probably a long time ago from the smell. And… I guess it had been wearing her skin ever since."

"How did you know what was happening?"

"Draco felt his Mark, and realized something was happening. He ran up to find you. Then of course you saw what happened. The snake came out of the skin, and you passed out. Ron grabbed all of us and Apparated us here. We think You-Know-Who almost caught us."

Harry sat up, clutching his head in his hands. "Is anyone hurt?"

Hermione shook her head. We're all fine. We wouldn't have been if Draco hadn't realized what was happening. He saved us all."

"Where is he?"  
"Outside, keeping watch. Ron is in a muggle town getting us some should be back soon now, and then I'll make us all something to eat."

Harry fell back into the bed. "That sounds fantastic."


	29. Xenophilius' Tale

Hermione and Draco spent the next week staring at the symbol in Dumbledore's book. It had been inked in, and no matter how hard they searched through Hermione's books they could find no mention of it.

Harry felt restless. He hated returning to inactivity, especially after their trip to Godric's Hollow had not gotten them any closer to finding the remaining Horcrux, or to destroying the ones they had. Ron spent the majority of his time outside, pacing up and down in frustration under the guise of keeping watch.

Finally, Harry's frustration reached a bursting point.

"We can't do nothing forever!" he exclaimed. Hermione and Draco looked up from where they were hunched over a pile of books, debating where they could find more information on the mysterious symbol. "If we do nothing You-Know-Who wins without a fight!"

Ron poked his head through the door. "That's what I've been saying mate! You said Luna's dad was wearing that symbol. Instead of searching books let's just go ask what it means!"

Hermione chewed on her lip nervously. "I think you're right," she admitted. Harry and Ron looked at each other in surprise. "Draco and I can't find anything anywhere. I just hope Mr. Lovegood can tell us something."

Draco stood up from his place at the table and started stacking the books they had strewn around. "No time to waste then. Do we know where he lives?"  
Ron nodded and stepped the rest of the way inside. "Its somewhere close to my parents. Everyone always points to the hills when they talk about the Lovegoods."

With practiced motions they packed the books and the tent into Hermione's beaded bag. She stuffed it down her sock where it couldn't be seen.

Ron grabbed onto Hermione and Harry's hands. Draco joined on.

"Ready then?" Ron asked. Without waiting for an answer he turned on the spot.

They appeared at the top of a hill overlooking the Burrow. Ron stared down at his family's house.

"It's weird to see it after so long," he mused. "I wonder if mum is down there."

"As wonderful as your family is, we really can't go anywhere near them," Hermione said gently. Harry noticed that her hand was still clasped tightly in Ron's. "It's too dangerous, for everyone."

They only walked for a few minutes before arriving at a strange house that Harry knew must belong to the Lovegoods. It was lopsided and rose up from the ground in a cacophony of joists and beams. It was almost certainly held up by magic.

Harry took a deep breath as he stepped up to knock on the door. It was only a moment before a man with long, stringy blond hair and bare feet, wearing a stained nightshirt, opened the door.

"Xenophilius?" Hermione asked. "Xenophilius Lovegood?"  
"Who are you? What do you want?" the man demanded.

"Its- its me, Harry Potter," Harry introduced himself. "And my friends, Hermione, Ron, and Draco. Um, can we come in?"

A glint of something shone in Xenophilius' eye as he held the door open. "Of course, of course. I should have known. Harry Potter indeed!" he exclaimed as he ushered them into a cluttered sitting room. A great racket came from the corner as a printing press rattled off copy after copy of The Quibbler.

"Take a seat and I'll go to make tea," Xenophilius said as he tossed a stack of papers off a chair.

Draco leaned against a table and nodded towards the opposite wall. "Isn't that…"

"An Erumpent horn," Hermione finished in a whisper. "They're extremely dangerous. And illegal."

He probably thinks it's from a Crumple-Horned whatever," Ron said.

They sat in uncomfortable silence until Mr. Lovegood returned, carrying a tray of tea and cups as he bustled into the room. While he had been gone he had gotten dressed, replacing his nightshirt with a long magenta robe. His feet were still bare.

"Mr. Lovegood, we wanted to ask you about something," Hermione started as she accepted the teacup thrust into her hands.

"Of course my dear, I knew there had to he a reason for your visit," he said as he shuffled towards Ron. "What would you like to ask about?"

"You were wearing a necklace with a strange symbol at Bill and Fleur's wedding," Harry said. "A triangle with circle inside, with a line cutting through it. What did it mean?"

Xenophilius looked startled as he handed Draco a cup of tea and took one for himself. He settled into an armchair crowded with papers and cushions before answering.

"That's the symbol of the Deathly Hallows."

"The what?" Ron asked, scrunching his face up in confusion.

"The Deathly Hallows. Surely you know the story of the Three Brothers?"

Ron and Draco nodded their heads. Hermione pulled Dumbledore's book from her pocket. "I have it here. The symbol is drawn onto the first page of the story."

"There are those of us who believe that the tale is more than myth, that the three Hallows; the Elder Wand, the Resurrection Stone, and the Cloak of invisibility are all real."

"Sorry," Harry interrupted, "but I have no idea what you're talking about. What is the tale of the Three Brothers?"

"It's a lot like the Billy Goats Gruff," Hermione said. "Three brothers came to a river and crossed using magic, beating Death. Each of them received one gift from Death. The first asked for a wand that could beat all others, the second for a way to bring people back from the dead, and the third for a way to hide even from Death himself."

"Thus the three Hallows," Xenophilius interjected. "The Elder wand, the strongest of all wands," he drew a line on a nearby piece of paper, "the Resurrection stone," he added a circle, "and the cloak of invisibility." He finished the drawing with a large triangle.

"It ended quite badly for the first two brothers," Hermione said. "The first was killed for the wand, and the second went mad when the stone could only bring back an empty image of the woman he loved. But the third brother lived a long life, and only shed the cloak when he was ready to die. He gave it to his son."

Draco was staring at Xenophilius. "You think that story's real?"

Xenophilius nodded. "There are not many of us who still believe. Those who do believe that the bearer of all three Hallows will be the master of death itself."

"But a stone that brings people back to life? An all-powerful wand? Those can't possibly exist!" Hermione exclaimed.

"And Invisibility cloaks aren't exactly unheard of," Draco added. "My father alone has at least two."

"Ah, but such cloaks give only the illusion of invisibility," Xenophilius replied. "This cloak gave true, infallible invisibility to its wearer. It doesn't wear off, and it can't be negated. Such a cloak would be recognizably different from all others. Lucius Malfoy has nothing like that."

The other four occupants of the room shared a look. Lucius Malfoy may not have a cloak like that, but they knew who did.

Xenophilius continued. "The stone, we must admit, has been lost to history. The Elder Wand, however, is quite traceable. It passes by death, becoming loyal to the one who defeated its previous owner. It was last said to be in the possession of the wandmaker Gregorovitch."

A look of shock crossed Harry's face. He stared at Xenophilius.

"What about Ignotus Peverell?" Hermione asked. "We saw the symbol on his tombstone."

Xenophilius' eyes lit up. "I see you've heard of him! The Peverell brothers were the original owners of the Hallows, the brothers in the story. Ignotus was the owner of the Invisibility cloak. It has been said that the cloak is still in his family, passed down from father to son."

Hermione settled back in her chair, a look of contemplation on her face. Draco was fiddling with his wand in thought.

"How's Luna?" Ron's voice broke the sudden silence.

Xenophilius stood and turned to face the wall, hiding his face. "Voldemort took her," he croaked.

There was a loud yelp. Harry leapt to his feet. Draco accidentally flung his wand across the room. They scrambled to grab hands, to get Draco's wand, to apparate away. But it was too late.

With a loud crack the room filled with bodies. Harry felt his arms grabbed roughly and pinned behind him as his wand was wrenched from his hand. A man was standing over Draco, leering down at him. He bent down and picked up Draco's wand from beneath his boot.

"Hello, Draco," the man snarled. He pulled Draco roughly to his feet. Hermione and Ron were already bound tightly in magical ropes.

"Greyback," Draco said stiffly. Harry saw a flash of fear in his eyes.

"This lots not going to the ministry," Greyback announced. "HE'S going to want them. We'll take them to Malfoy Manor. It's about time this one got home anyways." He shoved Draco roughly towards Harry.

Xenophilius fell at the werewolf's feet. "My Luna," he begged. "Please, let my Luna go. Bring her back to me!"

Greyback kicked at the man grovelling on the floor. "You should'a thought of her before you supported Potter," he spat. "Don't think this changes anything."

Harry felt Draco being roughly shoved against his back. They were bound together with magical ropes. Greyback took a hold of them and with a crack they disapparated.

* * *

 **Hello everyone! I just wanted to pop in and say that I'm almost finished writing this story, and I'm going to be updating more often! It will most likely be Wednesdays and Saturdays, though that could change a little week-to-week.**

 **I also want to thank everyone who's been reading this. Your support means the world to me, and I'm thrilled that so many people are enjoying this story. I honestly can't believe how many people have read it, and every review makes me do a little happy dance. Thank you!**

 **-DollhouseDancer**


	30. Malfoy Manor

The next thing Harry saw was a large set of metal gates. He could feel Draco shaking behind him.

A figure appeared behind the gate, walking down the long path from an ornate manor. As the figure drew closer Harry recognised it as Bellatrix Lestrange.

"Why are you here?" The witch's voice echoed across the expanse.

"We caught some kids we think you'll be interested in," Greyback snarled. He turned Harry away from the gate so that Draco was facing it. "Potter and his… friends."

Bellatrix inhaled sharply. "Bring them in."

Harry was thrust forward and marched sideways toward the manor. He could see Hermione and Ron, bound together, being forced along beside him.

The large doors swung open and they were pushed through. The group followed Bellatrix through an entrance hall and into a large drawing room. A figure moved towards them from the shadows.

"Draco?" Narcissa Malfoy's voice asked hesitantly. A second figure rose from a chair in front of the large fireplace.

Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy advanced on Harry and Draco. A wide grin spread across Bellatrix's face.

"Potter and his friends," Greyback announced as he shoved them forwards. "And their wands." He held his fist out, four wands clutched tightly in it. Narcissa stepped forward to take them.

"The Dark Lord will be so pleased." Bellatrix dragged up her sleeve with a smile, exposing the Mark beneath.

"No!" Narcissa leapt forward and grabbed her sister's arm, dropping the wands to the floor. "He can't find Draco!"

Bellatrix sneered as she dragged her sleeve back down. "Then what do you propose, Cissy?"

Lucius stepped forward, anger blazing in his eyes. "To the courtyard, all of you," he said to the men holding them prisoner. "Wait for me there."

"Now, we'll not be forgetting who caught this lot," Greyback snarled. "The reward is ours."

"You will have your reward," Lucius muttered. "So long as you get out, now."

The Snatchers walked away. Bellatrix pulled a short silver knife from her robes and twirled it idly in her hand. Lucius turned to whisper something in her ear, and she followed the Snatchers out.

"Draco," Narcissa walked towards her son. "I'm so sorry for everything. We'll keep you safe, I promise." Harry saw her open her arms before she disappeared behind his back.

"Don't touch me!" Draco exclaimed. He backed away from his mother, nearly pushing Harry to the floor. "I won't be your pawn in this!"

"Our pawn? Draco we love you!" Narcissa exclaimed. "Please, come with me, I'll hide you."

"The Dark Lord need never know you were here," Lucius whispered as he walked around to Draco. Bellatrix sauntered back into the room.

"They're taken care of," the witch hissed, a malevolent smile crossing her lips. "What are we going to do with these ones?"

"Put Potter and his friends in the cellar," Lucius drawled coldly. "We'll deal with Draco, and then we can call the Dark Lord."

Bellatrix surveyed the group with half-hooded eyes. "The boys, yes," she chuckled malevolently. "The mudblood I'll keep."

"No! Don't touch her! Keep me instead!" Ron strained at his ropes as Bellatrix moved towards him and Hermione, brandishing her knife. "I'll do anything you want. Don't touch her!"

With a wicked grin Bellatrix cut the ropes binding Ron and Hermione. "Hold the girl, Cissy," she hissed as she grabbed Ron's hair. "Believe me, blood traitor, you're next." She dragged him towards Harry. With a flick she cut him free of Draco, and dragged both boys, still bound tightly, from the room and down a set of stone stairs. She opened a door and tossed them inside.

The door swung shut, plunging them into complete darkness. Ron began to wriggle against his restraints.

"Ron? Harry?" a voice called out. "Is that you?" Harry turned towards the voice but couldn't see anything in the darkness.

"Luna?" Ron asked hesitantly.

"Yes, its me! Mr. Ollivander, the wandmaker, is here too," Luna called out of the darkness. "Are you tied up?"

Harry could feel an arm brushing against him as he answered. "Yes. Can you get us out?"

"I think so," Luna answered. "Mr. Ollivander, can you pass me that nail? I think it's by the water jug."

Harry heard a scrambling and then something cold was pressed against his wrist.

"Stay very still," Luna warned. "I don't want to cut you."

Ron grunted. "In my pocket, there's a Deluminator. If you flick it it'll give you light."

At that moment a scream echoed through the manor, followed by a shout of anger. Ron swore as he recognized Hermione's voice.

"Please, stop! Please," they heard Hermione cry. "Stop! Aghhhhh!" She screamed again.

"Don't touch her!" Draco's voice echoed down to them. "Leave her alone!"

There was a rustle and a flicking sound, and two balls of light flew into the cellar. In the new light Luna quickly cut both boys free of their bonds.

As soon as he was free Ron jumped to his feet and pounded on the door. "Stop!" he shouted. "Don't hurt her!"

"You filthy mudblood!" Bellatrix's voice echoed down the stairs. Hermione screamed again.

"Get us out of here!" Ron exclaimed, grabbing onto Harry's shoulders and shaking him. His eyes were wide with terror. "Get us out!"

Luna stepped up to Harry and Ron. "I'm sorry," she said hesitantly, her eyes cast down at the floor. "There's no way out. I tried everything, and Mr. Ollivander has been here a lot longer than me. Neither of us could find a way out."

Ron sank to the ground, his head in his hands. "We can't leave Hermione with her," he sobbed.

Harry paced away across the cellar. He spotted Mr. Ollivander, hunched over against a wall. The old wandmaker was frail and sick.

"It's true," Ollivander whispered. "This room has been sealed against all magical exit or entry. The only way out is through the door."

"There has to be some way, something they couldn't seal it against!" Harry exclaimed in frustration. "Some kind of magic they missed!"

"I've tried everything, Harry," the old man mumbled weakly. "No witch or wizard could get out of here, even if they had a wand."

Harry paced back towards Ron, Ollivander's words ringing in his ears. No witch or wizard…

"House elves!" Harry exclaimed. "House elves can get into all sorts of places!"

Ron shot to his feet. "Do you think…?"

"Kreacher!" Harry called.

There was a crack and the ancient house elf appeared next to Harry.

"Harry Potter!" Kreacher exclaimed. "Kreacher thought that you had been killed! So many witches and wizards from the old families came to Grimmauld Place. But they were not good and kind, like you."  
"I'm not dead yet, Kreacher," Harry answered. "But we need to get away from here. Can you take humans out of this room?" Kreacher nodded. "Then take Luna and Mr. Ollivander somewhere safe. Not Grimmauld Place."

"Shell Cottage," Ron interjected. "On the outskirts of Tinworth. That's where Bill and Fleur were going to move."

"I want to help you," Luna said. "You still have to get Draco and Hermione."

Harry shook his head. "Go with Ollivander, he needs you more than we do. We'll be there soon." He turned back to Kreacher. "Take them to the cottage, then come back and get us." Kreacher nodded and stretched out his hands for Ollivander and Luna. With a crack they disappeared.

"What was that?" Bellatrix's voice called out. "Cissy, go check the basement!"

Harry heard a mutter of discontent, followed by footsteps approaching the stairs. Ron quickly flicked the Deluminator, sucking the lights back up into it. They pressed themselves against the wall next to the door.

The door swung open, revealing Narcissa, her wand pointed out in front of her. Suddenly, she crumpled to the floor.

Harry peeked tentatively around the corner. At the top of the stairs stood Kreacher. He smiled up at the elf before reaching down to pick up Narcissa's wand.

"Thanks Kreacher," he whispered as he reached the top of the stairs. "Are Luna and Mr. Ollivander safe?" The house elf nodded.

Harry and Ron crept down a narrow passage, followed closely by Kreacher. They had a clear view of the drawing room.

Bellatrix was standing above Hermione, leering as she pointed her wand at the convulsing girl. Her other hand clutched the silver dagger. Blood trickled down Hermione's arm. Across the room Draco was being restrained by his father, who bore obvious signs of a fight. Lucius Malfoy's lip was dripping blood and a dark patch was blooming above his left eye.

"Let me go you bastard!" Draco screamed. "I won't go anywhere with you!"

"Please Draco," Lucius pleaded. "He'll kill you!"

Ron barrelled into the room towards Hermione. Bellatrix turned at the sound of his footsteps, releasing the curse she had been using. Hermione collapsed to the floor, sobbing and gulping.

"Expelliarmus!" Harry shouted, pointing Narcissa's wand. Before Bellatrix could react her wand flew out of her hand, arcing through the air to land in Harry's. Ron reached Hermione a moment later.

Draco took his chance and broke free of his father's hold. He lunged towards their wands, still lying on the floor where Narcissa had dropped them. As Ron dragged Hermione towards Harry and Kreacher Draco turned, levelling the four wands at his father. "Stupefy!"

Lucius Malfoy flew backwards, knocked unconscious by the force of the spell. Draco turned to run towards Harry, only to be stopped short by a cackle from the other end of the room.

All eyes turned to Bellatrix. Harry's scar threatened to split open in pain as he saw her sleeve pulled up, her right hand pressed firmly to the Dark Mark on her arm. Draco clutched at his own arm, a combination of pain and fear twisting his features.

"The Dark Lord will be here any moment," Bellatrix chortled. "He'll deal with you." A gleeful smirk spread across her face.

"Draco!" Ron shouted. "Get over here!"

Slowly Draco backed towards the others, his eyes fixed on his aunt. Harry grasped Kreacher's shoulder tightly, trying desperately to stay conscious. He could feel Voldemort approaching. It would only take a few seconds.

Ron thrust Hermione's hand into Harry's and reached out to grab onto Draco. "GO!" he shouted.

The last thing Harry saw as they disapparated was a glint of something silver.


	31. At Shell Cottage

Harry smelled salty air as he landed. He fell to his knees and let go of Kreacher's shoulder. Ron rushed to grab hold of Hermione.

There was a shriek that rent the air, a sound of absolute pain. A body fell to the ground.

"Draco!" Harry shouted. He squinted into the darkness. Draco was lying on the ground, whimpering in pain, as a dark stain spread across his stomach.

"Lumos!" Harry shouted. He held Bellatrix and Narcissa's wands, their tips lit, next to the red stain.

A knife, the silver one that Bellatrix had been holding, was stabbed deeply into Draco's right side. The hilt of it stuck out, surrounded by blood.

"Draco!" Harry screamed. His scar burned with fresh pain and he felt his vision fading. For a moment he was back inside Malfoy Manor, anger surging through him as he levelled his wand at Lucius.

Footsteps pounded behind Harry, jerking him back to Draco's side. Someone conjured a stretcher next to Draco's body.

"Get them inside, quick," a man's voice instructed as he levitated Draco and Hermione onto stretchers. "Fleur can help them. This is my home, Shell Cottage. Can you see it?"

Harry glanced in the direction of a pointed finger and nodded as the cottage came into view. He took hold of Draco's stretcher and pushed it across the grass. Every bump and jolt made Draco moan in pain. The man, who Harry realized was Bill Weasley, ran ahead.

Fleur was already busy in the small kitchen, tending to Mr. Ollivander. As the two stretchers came through the door she moved towards them.

"What 'appened to 'Ermione?" she asked gruffly.

Ron held out Hermione's arm. The word MUDBLOOD had been carved into it. "The cruciatus curse too," he whispered.

Fleur nodded. "Draco first." She pulled the stretcher into the kitchen where she had set up healing potions along with clean cloths. "Clean 'er wounds," she gestured towards a pot of boiling water and some rags. Luna hurried out of the living room to help as Fleur bent over Draco.

"Draco," Fleur said. "Draco, I need you to look at me." Harry watched as Draco pried his eyes open.

"Good," Fleur breathed. "Now, I am going to pull ze knife out. It will hurt a lot. I need you to stay awake."

Draco's lips parted as if he was trying to speak. Only a small squeak came out.

Fleur looked at Harry. "I need you to 'old 'im still," she said. "Do not let 'im move." Harry nodded and reached across Draco's torso to hold him down.

"Ready?" Fleur asked. Harry nodded stiffly. Draco blinked slowly. "On three. One, two, three!"

With a tug the blade came free from Draco's side. He let out a howl of pain. Fleur immediately pressed a cloth against the wound as she threw the knife to the floor and retrieved her wand. She waved it over the wound, uttering a melodic incantation. Harry watched as the wound began to knit from the inside out, layer after layer of muscle and sinew binding together. Finally Fleur lowered her wand.

"'E will be alright for now," she declared. "But it will take time for this to 'eal properly." She stepped away from Draco and ran to Hermione's side. "'Arry," she called back over her shoulder, "Clean up ze blood. Tell me if 'e says anything."

Harry grabbed a cloth and some warm water and began to dab at the blood seeping into Draco's clothes. With a sigh he unbuttoned Draco's shirt and peeled it back.

Fleur was exhausted by the time she was confident that she had healed the worst of Hermione's, Draco's, and Mr. Ollivander's wounds. She sank deeply into a chair as Ron gently scooped up Hermione and Bill levitated Draco, who had been unconscious for some time, up the stairs.

"We'll put Draco in here with Mr. Ollivander," Bill whispered as he opened the door to a room. "It's right next to us, we'll be able to hear if anything happens." He laid Draco down on one of two beds before turning around. "Hermione and Luna can sleep in this room." He pulled open the door, allowing Ron to enter and lay Hermione's sleeping form across the bed. "I'm afraid that you two will have to stay in the living room." He glanced at Ron and Harry. "I don't know what you're up to, but you can't keep going, not with either of them in the shape they are. It will take at least a few weeks for Hermione to recover, and longer for Draco. Unless you have somewhere else safe to spend a couple of months, you need to stay here."

Harry glanced at Ron. "The task that we're doing is really important," he said. "But you're right Bill. Two of my friends almost died today, and Ron and I can't do this alone. We have to wait for them to get better."

Bill nodded his head in approval and led them back down the stairs. "You can feel free to stay here. Fleur is very talented at healing. I warned the rest of the family that you were seen and they've already gone into hiding with Andromeda Tonks."

"What about Ginny?" Harry asked anxiously. "Isn't she still at Hogwarts? They took Luna from school, they wouldn't worry about taking her too!"

Bill chuckled. "Apparently they tried to. Unfortunately for several Death Eaters, they approached her while she was in Hogsmeade. She fought back, quite successfully, and Apparated home illegally right into mum and dad's argument about how to get her to safety."

Harry smiled. That sounded like the Ginny he knew.

"We're under a Fidelius Charm here," Bill continued. "That's why you couldn't see the house until I spoke to you. I'm secret keeper. I'll show you the boundaries of it tomorrow, as long as you don't go outside them you'll be safe."  
"Thanks," Harry said. "I know you weren't exactly expecting visitors. We'll help as much as we can."

Bill smiled tiredly. "Anything to help in the fight. That house elf who apparated you here- can he be trusted?"

"Kreacher!" Harry exclaimed. In the panic about Draco and Hermione he had quite forgotten about the elderly house elf. With a pop he appeared at Harry's side.

"What can Kreacher do for Master?"

"You might remember Kreacher." Harry said. "He belonged to the Black family, but when Sirius died he left me everything." Harry glanced at Bill. "He could help, around the house, and with cooking and such while we're here. Then we won't be such a burden on you."

Bill thought for a moment before nodding. "I'm sure Fleur would love that."

Harry turned to Kreacher. "This is Bill Weasley. We will all be staying in his house for some time, while Draco and Hermione heal. You are to help him and his wife Fleur in taking care of the house and cooking. Can you do that Kreacher?"

The old house elf nodded his head. "Of course Master Harry. Kreacher has been so lonely since you left Grimmauld Place. The witches and wizards who visit now do not treat Kreacher nicely like you do. Kreacher will be a help to the Weasleys."

Kreacher picked a cupboard to settle into as Bill helped Fleur upstairs to bed. He returned with an armful of blankets and everyone settled in for the night.

A scream pierced the still night air. Harry sat up from his spot on the couch, jammed his glasses onto his face, and leapt to his feet in one fluid motion. In an instant he was upstairs throwing open the door to the room the sound was coming from.

Draco was writhing in his sheets, screaming as if his life depended on being heard. His eyes were clenched shut. Mr. Ollivander stood above him, a concerned look on his face.

A woman raced into the room. Harry barely had time to realize that it was Fleur before she pulled out her wand and murmured an incantation. Immediately Draco stopped thrashing, though the screams continued.

Harry dashed toward Draco and began to shake him. "Wake him up," he exclaimed. "It's a nightmare!"

Suddenly Draco's eyes flew open and his final scream died on his lips. His eyes bulged as he seemed to be struggling against invisible bonds.

"Quiet, quiet," murmured Fleur. She reached down to gently stroke Draco's hair. "You are not 'urt. I 'ad to paralyze you so zat you didn't make your injury worse." At her words Draco began to settle down.

"Good," Fleur whispered. She waved her wand and Harry watched as Draco relaxed into the bed. "There, zat ees better. Let me take a look at your injury."

Fleur gently peeled back the sheets and lifted Draco's shirt. His wound had come open and was leaking blood.

"Get me fresh bandages," Fleur demanded. Harry turned to leave before seeing that Bill, Luna and Ron were standing in the doorway.

"You stay with him," Ron said. "I'll be right back." He disappeared down the stairs.

"Do you 'ave dreams like zis often?" Fleur asked gently. Draco nodded mutely.

"He's been having nightmares since he left his parent's house last year," Harry said quietly. "They've actually been getting better lately. He hasn't had one like this in a long time."

Fleur nodded. "Zat is understandable. 'E was 'urt very badly today. Zey will probably be like zis for some time." She looked up as Ron passed her a wad of bandages. "Can you go stay with "Ermione?" she asked. "She might 'ave nightmares too." Ron nodded and dashed across the hallway.

Bill stepped inside. "Mr. Ollivander, why don't you come downstairs with me? Harry and Ron were sleeping on the couches, but it looks like we're going to have to move things around." The wandmaker quietly followed Bill out of the room and down the stairs.

Fleur re bandaged Draco's side and helped him to get settled back into bed. By the time Harry collapsed into the second bed, the sky outside was growing light with the approaching morning.

* * *

 **Thanks to purplehedgehog13 for letting me know that this didn't send out notifications. Something weird happened when i posted earlier and I wasn't sure if it had worked properly. Now I know it didn't! Hopefully it will work this time.**


	32. The Next Morning

Kreacher made breakfast for everybody that morning. Fleur gushed her thanks before taking her food and heading back to bed. The events of the day before had taken an obvious toll on her.

Bill cleared his throat as he sat down at the table. "Ron, Harry, you take food up to Hermione and Draco and then come back down here. We all need to have a talk." He smiled at Luna as she helped Mr. Ollivander take a seat at the table. The old wandmaker looked pale and frail in the morning light.

Harry cast a dubious look at Ron as they walked up the stairs. "What does he want to talk about?"

Ron shrugged. "Nothing too menacing or else he would have sounded a lot different. Don't worry about it." As he reached the top of the stairs Ron pulled open the door to Hermione's room.

Harry stepped into the room across the hall. Draco was awake and was blinking lazily at the ceiling.

"I brought breakfast," Harry announced. "Eggs and toast, thanks to Kreacher."

Draco's pale eyes bored into Harry. "I can hear the ocean. Where are we?"

"Bill and Fleur Weasley's cottage."

Draco blinked in surprise. "How did we get here? Where's Hermione? Why is Kreacher making us breakfast?"

Harry chuckled. "You really don't remember much of what happened do you?" Draco shook his head and Harry quickly explained everything that had happened.

Draco slowly pushed himself up to a sitting position, a thoughtful expression on his face. "I had a nightmare last night, didn't I?"

Harry nodded. "A really bad one. You were screaming and flailing so much you tore open the wound from the knife."

"It was terrifying being there," Draco whispered. "They wanted me to go into hiding, to leave all of you to die." His face contorted in fear and anger. "And I wanted to do it. For a moment I actually considered it."

"Of course you did," Harry said matter-of-factly as he sat the plate of food in Draco's lap. "If my parents suddenly showed up and told me to stop fighting I would in a heartbeat."

"That's different," Draco muttered. "Your parents were already fighting. Mine are evil."

"Yeah, it is different," Harry said, "but not because my parents made a different choice than yours. It's different because I don't know my parents. You do know yours. And you love them, even if they do awful things. The people who loved you and raised you offered you a way out of this fight. Of course you wanted to take it. But you're strong enough that you didn't."

"I almost did though," Draco whispered.

"Not from what I saw," Harry said. "You fought your father and tried to protect Hermione. In the end it doesn't matter what you wanted. What matters is how you acted."

Draco began to pick at his food. "Maybe you're right," he sighed. He took a big bite of toast. "When can I get up?"

"Fleur says you're going to have to stay in bed for a few weeks. I don't think she'd even like you sitting up like you are now if she was here. She thinks it'll be a couple of months before you're really back to normal. We're going to have to wait here for a while."

Draco grimaced. "Just what you need, an injury holding you back. Don't worry about me Harry, just keep going. I can catch up with you later."

"No way," Harry shook his head vehemently. "I can't do this without you, or without Hermione. It'll be a while before she's ready to go anywhere either. We started this as a team, and we can't break up now. Besides, I don't know where to go next. It might take that long for us to figure out our next step."

A knock at the door interrupted Draco. Ron poked his head in.

"I'm heading back downstairs," he said. "Remember, Bill wanted to talk to us."

Harry nodded. "Right behind you."

Kreacher was just clearing away the dishes as Harry entered the kitchen. He smiled at Bill and sat down between Ron and Luna.

"How is Hermione?" Bill asked as Ron sat down.

"She's okay. Disoriented and tired though, and she says that it still hurts every time she closes her eyes. I don't think she knows about the scars yet."

Bill nodded. "And Draco?"

"He forgot a lot of what happened. He was acting like he's okay, but I think he just doesn't want to admit that he's hurt," Harry reported. "But he's awake, and he's not in too much pain, at least for now."

Bill sat back in his seat. "I'm glad that they're doing well. Listen, I don't know where you four have been since August, and I don't really think I want to. You told me before that Dumbledore left you a task. I'm happy to help with it if you want me to, but I won't push you to tell me what it is."

"Thanks," Harry said. He sighed in relief.

Bill smiled. "I assume that you've been travelling a lot. But you need to know, neither Hermione or Draco will be able to keep doing that for some time. Right now they need rest and time to heal or else they're going to get a lot worse." He eyed Harry and Ron. "I'm guessing that you don't want to spend that time cooped up with mum and the rest of the family?"

Harry's heart soared at the thought of seeing Ginny again, but he shook his head no. "We can't. They would try to stop us."

Bill nodded in understanding. "That's fine, Fleur and I are happy to have you here. But that brings me to what I wanted to talk about. It looks like you four, at least, are going to be here for a while. The only problem is the lack of space. Unfortunately we just don't have enough bedrooms for six extra guests. It might work out if you two could sleep in the living room, but it seems likely that Draco and Hermione are going to keep having nightmares, and you seem to be the only ones who can calm them down." He glanced at the two boys.

"Draco and I have gotten used to dealing with each other's nightmares," Harry admitted. "Except for school we've been sharing rooms most nights since Dumbledore first brought him to my aunt and uncle's."

Ron shifted uncomfortably. "Hermione doesn't normally have nightmares, but it seemed to help that I was there last night."

"Then I think that's the best arrangement we can make, at least for now," Bill said. "We don't want either of them hurting themselves because of a nightmare." He stared at Ron. "Though you had better treat that girl like gold if you're going to be sharing a room with her." Ron flushed a deep red.

"Unfortunately that doesn't leave much room for Luna or Mr. Ollivander," Bill continued as Ron hid his head in his hands. Bill looked over at Luna, who was helping Kreacher clean up. Mr. Ollivander had gone back to the living room to lie down. "Mr Ollivander was in that cellar a long time," he revealed, "and he needs someone who can help him recover. I was thinking of sending him to Muriel's house. Mum can take care of him there. Luna can probably go home."

"No!" Harry burst in. "I mean, about Luna going home. It's not safe there." He lowered his voice to a whisper. "Mr. Lovegood is the one who got us caught. He said You-Know-Who's name while we were there. He didn't want to hurt us, just to get Luna back. They could still be watching him."

Bill nodded. "The Order knew a bit about that. They took her because he was supporting you in his paper. You're right, she can't go back, they'll be watching for her." He tapped his chin. "I suppose she can choose. Either she can stay here or she can go to Muriel too." He glanced at a clock above Ron's head.

"I have to go," Bill said as he stood up. "The Order is having an emergency meeting now that the family has had to move to Muriel's. I'll talk to them about moving Mr. Ollivander and Luna there as well."

Harry watched as Bill walked outside the house and apparated away. He turned to Ron.

"Can Hermione move across the hall for a bit? We need to talk, all together."


	33. Wands

It quickly became clear that neither Hermione or Draco was as well as they wanted the others to believe. Hermione began by insisting that she could walk across the hall on her own. However, before she could even reach the door to her small room, she was exhausted, and Ron had to scoop her up to keep her from falling. In the second room Draco was clearly struggling to keep his breathing even after attempting, and failing, to push himself up in bed. Harry told him to stop trying as Ron gently laid Hermione across from him.

"I need to know more about the Deathly Hallows," Harry started as soon as everyone was settled. "I know that Dumbledore must have left that book as a clue for us. He meant for us to find out about them. What if he meant for me to find them all and become master of death?"

"Harry," Hermione's voice was hesitant, "What if it's all just a story?"

"But his cloak is real!" Ron exclaimed. "Why shouldn't the others be too?"

"Xenophilius isn't exactly a trustworthy source," Draco said. He grimaced as the effort jarred his wound. "Look at who he turned us into. And don't forget about Nargles and whatever."

"I know," Harry said. "But I really think he just did that because he was scared. He might believe in some crazy things, but what if this one's actually true?"

"Wouldn't Dumbledore have been more clear if he wanted you to go after the Hallows?" Hermione asked. "I know he was so vague about the Horcruxes, but at least he told you outright about them. I think he would have done more than give me a book with a mark if he really thought it was important."

"I don't know if I even knew Dumbledore at all," Harry said. "I've been thinking about it ever since I saw his eulogy. There's so much he never told me."

Ron nodded. "Bill's got that awful book Rita Skeeter wrote. He says some of it's pretty ridiculous, but most of it is true. There's so much in there that none of us ever knew."

Hermione sighed. "Be careful what you look for Harry. Sometimes stories are just stories. And sometimes things are a lot more dangerous than people think."

"But finding out about it can't hurt," Harry said. "Especially if there really is a powerful wand like in the story. Maybe that could help me defeat You-Know-Who."

"Xenophilius did say that one has been traced through history," Ron said.

"Ollivander would know," Draco whispered. Harry glanced at him; Fleur had muttered something about watching him for internal bleeding. "That's probably why he was in the Manor. _He_ could already be looking for it."

Harry nodded. "That's a good point. I'll ask him about it." He looked from Draco to Hermione. "I think you two need to rest. Ron and I'll get out of your way." Hermione smiled gratefully as Ron picked her up and returned her to her own room.

Harry pulled something out from beside his bed.

"My mother's wand," Draco said softly, his eyes fixed on the thing in Harry's hand.

"I was thinking of giving it to Luna, if Mr. Ollivander says it's safe," Harry said. "Unless you don't want me to. It's yours, by rights."

Draco turned away. "I don't want it. I don't want anything of theirs. If Luna wants it she can have it."

Harry met Ron in the hall. Silently they crept downstairs, being careful not to disturb Fleur. They found Mr. Ollivander alone in the living room, reading a book.

Harry cleared his throat as he stepped forward. "Mr. Ollivander?" Could we speak to you for a few minutes?"

The wandmaker looked up and patted the sofa beside him. "Of course! Come in boys. I haven't had the chance to thank you yet for rescuing me." Harry and Ron sat down on a loveseat across from him. "How are your friends?"

"They're not great," Harry answered. "It's going to be a while before either of them can do much. Fleur thinks that the knife cut open one of Draco's kidneys."

"That's unfortunate. I saw many evil things locked in that dungeon, but the idea that they would hurt their own son astounds me."

"I was wondering," Harry said, changing the subject, "If you could tell me about this wand?"

Mr. Ollivander reached out his hand and took the wand from Harry. "This is the wand of Narcissa Malfoy," he said. "A fine wand, though its use has been less than wholesome lately." He handed it back.

"Would it work for Luna?" Harry asked. "I was thinking of giving it to her, since she lost hers."

"It is still loyal to its original owner, I believe. But if you want you could give it to Luna. It will work well enough until she can obtain a replacement."

Harry nodded. "Can a wand's loyalty change?"

"It certainly can. It generally depends on the manner in which it was taken. If a wand is won from its owner, it can become loyal to its new owner."

"Are there any wands in particular that have passed like that, from wizard to wizard?" Harry asked.

"You are talking about the Elder Wand, or the Deathstick,"Ollivander replied, his voice hesitant. "You-Know-Who wanted to know about that as well. I'm afraid that I told him far too much.'

'There are stories, of a wand that has passed from wizard to wizard through death. It pops up throughout history, and in every story it is rumoured to be a wand of great power. But I'm afraid that I don't know much more. It was rumoured to be in the possession of Gregorovitch, but it almost certainly is not any longer." He looked from Harry to Ron. "I'm afraid that that's all I know, though it is certainly less that He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named knows. I'm very sorry that I couldn't tell you more."

Harry forced himself to smile. "Thank you Mr. Ollivander. Knowing that the wand is real will be a great help." He and Ron stood up to leave.

The weeks passed torturously slowly at Shell Cottage. Mr. Ollivander and Luna left the morning after Harry spoke to the wandmaker. Hermione and Draco were far too weak to move out of their rooms, leaving Harry and Ron to wander the confines of the fidelius charm and debate their next moves. The nights were punctuated with screams as they relived the events at Malfoy Manor.

Harry's scar hurt. He saw flashes of Voldemort's mind more often than ever. Finally, after everything he had been through, he found that he could block it out. But he often chose not to, instead allowing himself to succumb to the pain, hoping to gain the briefest glimpse, the smallest clue as to what to do next.

It was in this way that he saw the old man, shrivelled and locked in the top of a tower prison.

He told Draco about what he had seen. "You-Know-Who glided right in, through this tiny slit of a window. The old man sat there and laughed at him. He said 'I know what you've come for. It will never be yours'."

Draco rubbed his hand across his face. "That sounds like Nuremgard prison," he said. "Wait…" He pulled a book out from under his pillow. Harry glanced at the cover.

"The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore. Why are you reading Skeeter's book?"

Draco shrugged. "I figured I might find something useful. The old man you just described, it could've been Grindelwald."

"Who?" Harry asked.

"Grindelwald," Draco repeated. He gave Harry a disappointed look. "Don't tell me you've never heard of him." Harry shook his head.

"Raised by muggles, remember?"

"You've had seven years to learn about the wizarding world! Don't you ever read?"

"No, he doesn't," Hermione called from the doorway. She had improved a good deal in the last week, and was finally starting to move around again. "What were you saying about Grindelwald?"

"I think You-Know-Who went to talk to him," Draco said. "Harry just described it to me and it sounded like Nuremgard prison."

"How was asking about the Elder Wand," Harry added. "Grindelwald knew what he wanted, but he didn't have it."

"You said that you saw Him questioning Gregorovitch about it ages ago, right?" Draco asked.

Harry nodded. "Gregorovitch said he used to have it, but it was stolen from him." What if it was stolen by Grindelwald?"

"But Grindelwald has been locked up for years," Hermione said. "Who knows where his wand would be by now?"

Draco smiled, an excited smile that lit up the room. "He's been locked up since he lost a duel with Dumbledore! If Dumbledore beat him and took his wand, then it would be loyal to him!" He shook the book excitedly. "It's all right here. Grindelwald and Dumbledore were friends when they were our age. It could've been Dumbledore's all along!" His smile was quickly replaced by a wince as the book slipped through his fingers and fell to the floor.

Harry nodded slowly as he reached down to retrieve the book. "So, if it was Dumbledore's when he died… is it loyal to Snape now?"

Hermione shook her head slowly. "Dumbledore's wand was buried with him, wasn't it? What does that mean?"

Harry gasped and doubled over in pain. A shock of sheer joy ran through him. Suddenly he was looking down at a white tomb. It rose up from the ground and slid open to reveal Dumbledore's body, perfectly preserved. Harry smiled and laughed, cold and high-pitched. He reached down and plucked the wand from Dumbledore's cold hand. Her turned it over and examined it before pointing it at the sky. The tip of the wand let out a stream of white light that crackled and pulsed as it rose into the air.

Suddenly Harry was back at Shell Cottage, curled into a ball on the floor. Two sets of eyes were looking down at him.

"He has it," Harry gasped out. His scar was still burning fiercely, causing the edges of his vision to fade into blackness. "He has the elder wand. It was Dumbledore's the whole time." He gasped again and gave into the darkness.

When Harry awoke he was lying in bed, surrounded by his friends. They all had concerned looks on their faces.

"Are you okay mate?" Ron asked.

Harry shook his head. "He has it. You-Know-Who has the elder wand. It was Dumbledore's all along. He took it from his tomb, just now."

Draco ran his hand through his hair. He was sitting up, his legs swung over the edge of his bed and one hand tucked protectively over the wound in his side.

"Well that's not good," Ron said. Hermione glared at him.

Harry shook his head, deep in thought. "You know, I actually think it's okay," he said finally. Ron and Draco looked at him in confusion. "I don't think Dumbledore wanted me to have it. If he did, he would have said something. He wanted me to go after the Horcruxes. That's why he told me about them, but not the Hallows."

Hermione nodded. "I agree. Dumbledore was a great wizard. If he thought you needed the wand he would have given it to you."

Draco shrugged. "Well, either way it's too late to do anything about it now."

* * *

 **Hello! I've had some trouble with posting the last couple of chapters. If you're following this story, can you let me know whether you receive a notification about this update? Thanks, and enjoy the story!**


	34. Moving Forward

The weeks continued to pass with little progress. Hermione was nearly fully healed from her experience, though she would have the scars from Bellatrix's knife for the rest of her life. Draco was beginning to do better at last, and could move around carefully. As April came to an end Fleur pronounced him almost as good as new, and declared that he would be able to travel again within a few weeks.

One evening they were just sitting down to a steak and kidney pie made by Kreacher when there was a frantic knocking on the door. Bill leapt up and walked cautiously towards it.

"Who's there?" Bill called.

"Remus Lupin." A voice answered from the other side. "I have exciting news!"

Bill pulled the door open with a smile. "Remus! It's good to see you!"

"Lupin!" Harry exclaimed as he came around the corner. His former professor turned to look at him, an elated smile spread across his face.

"Harry, there you are!" he exclaimed. "I have exciting news!"  
"Sit down and 'ave some supper, Remus," Fleur interrupted. "It was just made by Kreacher."

Harry pulled out a chair across from Lupin. "What's your news?"  
"Tonks!" Lupin exclaimed. "She had the baby! A beautiful little boy!" His smile grew even wider. "He's an animagus, like his mother. His hair started changing even before I left. Who knows what it'll be by the time I get back!"

Harry felt a grin spread across his face. He had forgotten that Tonks was pregnant. "Congratulations!" he shouted. "What's his name?"

"Teddy,' Lupin said proudly. "We named him after his grandfather."

Harry nodded, remembering Ted Tonks. He glanced at Draco beside him. "I guess that you have a new cousin!" Draco smiled and nodded. He looked better than Harry had seen him in months.

"Harry, Draco, I have a question for you," Lupin said. Harry looked up from his plate. "Will you be his godfathers?"

"Of course!" Harry blurted. "We would love to be!" He glanced at Draco, who was suddenly frozen, his fork lifted halfway to his mouth.

"Er," Draco stuttered. Hermione gently placed her hand on his arm, bringing him out of his trance. "Yes! Of course, I would love to be his godfather! I can't wait until I get to meet him!" A wide grin broke out across his face.

"That's fantastic," Lupin exclaimed as he dug heartily into his pie. "Tonks will be happy to hear that." He looked up and smiled at Draco, his mouth full. "She's so happy to have you for a cousin. There's no one better we could ever pick to care for our son."

Harry smiled.

* * *

They planned their next move weeks in advance. So, on the day when Draco demonstrated that he could move freely without wincing in pain, they were already packed and ready to leave.

They sat around the dinner table that evening gazing awkwardly at their plates. Bill cleared his throat.

"What's wrong?"

Harry stared at his plate."We're leaving," he muttered. Tonight." He felt Bill and Fleur staring at him.

"Tonight?" Fleur asked incredulously.

"Draco is healed, and I've been better for ages," Hermione said. Bill and Fleur turned to look at her.

"We can't wait forever," Ron added. "We're seriously thankful that you let us stay here. We wouldn't have made it this far without you. But we have to keep going."

Bill sighed as he looked around the table. "I can see that there's no talking you out of this. We always knew you would leave eventually." He held his hand up to stop Fleur from interrupting. "Is there anything we can do to help?"

"Get the Order ready," Draco said. He shook his head at Harry's accusing glare. "There's a fight coming soon. We need their help."

Bill nodded. "I'll call an emergency meeting right away."

Fleur stared at Harry. "Be careful," she whispered. She set her fork down and reached out to hug him. "You are so brave."

Harry pulled away and cleared his throat " Well, we have to get going." He pushed back his chair and stood up. The others followed.

"Thanks so much Bill," Ron said, "Tell mum hi for me."

"Thank you for all your help," Hermione said to Fleur. "I hope we'll see you soon."

Harry grabbed onto Kreacher's hand. The others joined on. "All right," Harry said, "Just like we talked about." With a crack they disappeared, leaving Bill and Fleur alone in their kitchen.

The next thing that Harry saw was the inside of a dank, dark bathroom. Draco blinked and looked around.

"Where are we?"

"Girl's bathroom," Ron answered.

"I managed to work that out for myself," Draco said sarcastically. "What are we doing in a girl's bathroom?"

"It's the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets," Harry said. He turned to Kreacher. "Go back to Bill and Fleur's house. It's not safe here." Kreacher looked like he was going to argue, but at a stern glance from Harry he turned and disappeared.

Draco stared at Harry. "All that time when the Chamber was opened, it was in a girl's bathroom? How did you find it?"

"We spent half of second year brewing Polyjuice Potion in here," Ron asid.

"Not half the year. It was one month," Hermione clarified. She grinned at Draco. "We never told you about that did we?"  
Draco shook his head. "You made Polyjuice in second year? In a bathroom?"

Harry smirked. "And then we stole hair from Crabbe and Goyle and questioned you about Slytherin's monster."

A look of understanding spread slowly across Draco's shocked face. "At Christmas, right? You forgot to take off your glasses!"

Harry nodded. "I thought you were the one letting the monster out. Sorry about that by the way."

Draco chuckled. "Why do the professors even like you? I was a stuck up git, but I never broke rules like you three!"

Harry's smirk widened. "Just another advantage of being the Chosen One." Hermione smacked him.

"Come on, let's get going," Ron said, clearly struggling to suppress a smile.

Harry nodded and stepped forward. He stared at the tiny snake on the side of a tap. "Open," he hissed. The large pipe slid open.

"The Chamber is down here," Harry said. He slid into the pipe and fell down. He landed at the bottom and moved out of the way as Ron, Hermione, and finally Draco emerged.

Harry walked across the bones that littered the hallway and squeezed through a crack in the part of the tunnel that Professor Lockhart had collapsed years earlier. He stood in front of the large door and hissed. It swung open.

The basilisk lay sprawled across the floor, a stain from its own blood surrounding its massive head. Harry stepped around to its mouth.

"Fawkes blinded it," he said. "You don't need to worry about it's eyes."

Draco stared at the corpse in amazement. "How did you kill it?"

"The sword of Gryffindor. I stabbed it through the mouth."

Hermione gasped. "The sword of Gryffindor! I can't believe we didn't think of that!" She wrung her hands as she stared at Harry. "It's goblin-made. We could have used it to destroy the Horcruxes!"

Ron looked confused. "What do you mean?"

"Goblin-made weapons take in only that which makes them stronger…" Draco mused.

"It would have taken in the Basilisk venom," Hermione explained.

"Remind me of that next time we're destroying Horcruxes," Harry grunted. He reached into the mouth of the beast and pulled on a fang.

With a jerk the fang came free of the Basilisk's mouth. Ron stepped up and yanked a second one out. Hermione pulled the Horcruxes from her bag and laid them on the floor. "Who's going to destroy them?" she asked. Ron and Draco looked at Harry.

"No," Harry shook his head. "I think you should do it." He handed his fang to Draco. "The cup was with your family. Make it right." He looked at Ron. "You should do the locket."

Ron nodded. "How do I open it?"

"I'll speak to it in Parseltongue. But be ready, these things are going to fight back. The journal almost killed me. And Ginny."

"I'm ready," Ron declared, gripping the fang tightly. Harry hissed to the locket and it popped open.

A great eye emerged and darted around, searching the room. It landed on Ron. With a puff of smoke it transformed into Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. A flash of green light appeared and hit them. They fell to the ground, dead. The image changed to Bill, then Charlie, then Fred and George. They were all laying on the ground, dead.

"They will all die," a deep voice hissed as the image changed to Ginny, staring blankly as she fell to the ground. "Starting with the mudblood." Ginny was replaced by Hermione, lying on the floor, blood trickling from her mouth.

A roar echoed around the chamber as Ron raised the fang above his head. He plunged it down into the locket.

There was a crack as the eye disappeared. Ron fell to the ground, gasping and still clutching the fang. Hermione rushed to him.

"It's gone," she assured him. "You killed it."

Harry turned to Draco. "Are you ready?" Draco, his face drained of colour, nodded.

"I'm right here with you," Harry assured.

"So are we," Hermione said. She dragged Ron to his feet and moved closer to Draco. "I know you're strong enough for this."

Draco clutched the fang harder and walked towards the cup.

The air exploded. The Dark Mark hung above them. There was a cackle as Bellatrix appeared, followed by Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy, their wands pointed at Draco's heart.

"You were always such a disappointment to the Malfoy name," Lucius drawled. "Couldn't even do better than a mudblood in school. What a disgrace."  
"You will never amount to anything," Bellatrix hissed. "Just a poor, sad little boy."

"I'm ashamed that I ever called you my son," Narcissa intoned. "You're no child of mine."

"Stab it, Draco," Ron urged. "You have to kill it!"

Draco turned around, his face curiously blank. He had moved the fang to his left hand, and was holding his arm out in front of him. Slowly he rolled up his sleeve to expose the Dark Mark beneath. His hand hovered above it.

"Draco!" Harry exclaimed. He darted forward to pull Draco's hand away from the Mark. He gazed into the boy's grey eyes. "You have to kill it."

Draco started at Harry's touch. He looked down at his arm and took a deep breath before turning back around.

"I'm free from you," he whispered. He raised the fang high and stabbed it into the cup. With a puff of smoke his family disappeared. The Dark Mark above them burst into pieces and rained down as it vanished.

Draco collapsed, his head in his hands.


	35. Order Reunited

"Where do we go now?" Ron asked as he surveyed the broken and bent Horcruxes.

"Weren't you listening to the plan at all?" Hermione huffed.

"We have to find Neville and any other members of the DA that will still help us," Harry said. "Then we search for something, anything, of Ravenclaw's." He walked back towards the Basilisk's mouth. "Each of us should take a fang. Be careful with them." He started ripping fangs from the gaping mouth.

At the entrance to the tunnel Harry paused. Ron stopped beside him. "How are we going to get out of here?"

"How did you do it last time?" Draco asked as he gazed up the long tube.

"Fawkes flew us up," Harry answered.

Draco stared at him. "You're telling me a bird showed up, blinded the Basilisk, dropped the Sorting hat with the Sword of Gryffindor right in front of you, AND flew you out of here?"

Harry shrugged. "He also stopped me from dying of Basilisk venom."

"You must have been the luckiest 12 year old ever."

Hermione pointed up the pipe. "I can levitate us up one at a time." She turned to Ron. "You first."

One by one they rose up the pipe, guided by Hermione's spell. Hermione rose out of the pipe last, her wand clutched tight in her hand, and settled gracefully to the floor.

Harry glanced at his watch. "It's late. Everyone should be in their dorms."

"I guess we're going to Gryffindor tower then," Ron said. Hermione stepped around him and slowly pulled open the door, glancing up and down the hall.

"It's clear," she said and slipped quietly out. The others followed quickly.

Silently they made their way up to Gryffindor tower, careful to stay in the shadows. They stopped at the portrait of the Fat Lady, who was snoring loudly.

"How will we get in?" Ron whispered.

At his voice the Fat Lady stirred. "Password?" She mumbled sleepily.

"Its me, Harry Potter," Harry whispered. "Please, we need…" He stopped short as the portrait swung open and looked at Draco curiously."Was the password my name?"

Draco shrugged. "I guess the Gryffindors miss you."

They crawled through the portrait hole to find the common room empty. Harry gestured them forward silently as he climbed the stairs to the seventh year dorm.

The door swung open silently and the group piled in, shutting the door tightly behind them. Harry glanced towards Neville's bed.

"Harry," Ron's voice echoed. "It's empty."

Harry let his eyes rove around the room. Ron was right.

"Where are they?" Draco asked. "It's too late for them to be out of bed."

"Look here," Hermione said suddenly. She was standing at the end of Seamus' bed. "His trunk is empty. And Dean's isn't here at all." She looked up. "I don't think anyone has been here for a while."

"But where could they be?" Harry asked. Ron gave him a blank look.

"I'll check the girl's dorm," Hermione said. "Maybe Lavender or Parvati is there. Meet me in the common room." She scurried out.

"Lets check the other years," Harry said quietly. He walked down the stairs and gently pulled open the door to another dorm.

"I hear someone snoring," Draco muttered. "And someone else muttering." Harry eased the door shut and snuck quietly down the stairs.

Hermione was waiting in the common room with a worried expression on her face. "The girl's dorm was empty too."

"We checked the fifth-year boys," Harry said. "There were at least three of them in there."

"So where is all of our year?" Ron asked.

Suddenly there was a squeak, and the portrait door swung open. Harry jumped as Hermione pushed him back into the shadows, motioning for him to be quiet. She stood in front of him, shielding him from view with her body.

The person who had opened the door seemed not notice them. The shadowy figure crept silently through the common room towards the stairs leading to the girl's dorms.

There was sound as Ron bumped against a table, knocking it over. The figure on the stairs gasped and spun around, a look of terror spreading across her face. For a moment everyone was frozen.

"Lavender?" Ron called shakily. The girl on the stairs peered into the shadows.

"Ron?" she called softly back. "Hermione, is that you there?"

Hermione gave Harry a look and stepped out of the shadows. "Yeah, Lavender, it's us. Where is everyone?"

Lavender squealed in excitement. "Is Harry there? Have you all come back?"

"Quiet!" Ron said forcefully. "We can't get caught here!"

Lavender took a deep breath and stepped towards them. "Sorry, it's just so exciting to see you! Oh, you must be so confused! There's no one left in the seventh year dorms! Just let me go grab what I came for and I'll show you where we all are." She glanced behind them. "Seriously though, is Harry here? We haven't heard anything about any of you for ages."

"Harry's here, and Draco too," Hermione whispered. "Please hurry, we have to find the others."

Lavender turned and darted quickly up the stairs. A minute later she was back, clutching something tightly in her hand. "Forgot my toothbrush," she whispered. She stared at Harry in awe. "I can't believe you're back."

Harry nodded impatiently. "Can you take us to the rest of the DA?"

"Right! This way." she led them out of the portrait hole and down a flight of stairs. "Neville's the one who started it, the rest of us showed up later. The Carrows, a couple of Death Eaters, have practically taken over the school. Amycus is in charge of Dark Arts, which is its own class now, and Alecto teaches Muggle Studies, where she tells us how awful Muggles are and why wizards are better. It all got to be too much for Neville, and he started breaking the rules. They were really angry, and he had to go into hiding" she paused in front of a familiar stretch of wall and Harry smiled. "He came here and asked for a room that the Carrows and their supporters couldn't get into. That was a couple of weeks ago. Now most of the DA is here, and some others too."She paced back and forth across the seventh floor hallway three times before a door appeared in the formerly blank wall. She reached for the doorknob.

"So that's where you've all disappeared to," a voice cackled out. Harry whipped around in astonishment as a figure stepped into view only a few feet away.

"But it looks like we've got something better than runaway students," the woman continued, an evil grin on her face. Her wand was pointed past Harry, straight at Lavender. "Potter, and Malfoy too. The Dark Lord's two most wanted." Her grin spread and she took a step forward. She was only a foot away from Draco now. "How are things without mummy and daddy to take care of you?"

"Alecto," Draco said stiffly. He took a shaky step back.

"Stupefy!" a voice rang out. Alecto flew away from Draco and into the wall. Harry smirked as he pulled his wand from his sleeve.

"Turns out I can hide my wand pretty well after all."

Draco chuckled as he leaned across the stunned witch. "Where should we put her?" He reached out his hand to take her wand.

A hand closed around Draco's wrist. He jerked away but Alecto held tight, grinning as she pressed her fingers against his Mark, still exposed from when he had rolled up his sleeve earlier. Draco's face contorted with fear and pain as he sank to his knees, screaming in agony as his Dark Mark burned.

Harry's hand went to his scar as it also began to burn. He experienced surprise and shock as he saw what he recognized as Malfoy Manor through Voldemort's eyes.

"Petrificus totalus! Brachiobindo!" Hermione shouted. Instantly Alecto was paralyzed and bound in magical ropes.

Get up Draco," Ron was saying. "We have to keep going."

Draco rose shakily to his feet, holding his left arm awkwardly in front of him. Lavender shuddered as she saw the mark burned into his skin.

"He's coming," Harry said, still clutching at his scar. "He's coming and he's bringing all the other Death Eaters. We don't have much time."

Lavender recovered from her shock. "Get in here quickly before Amycus or Snape show up!" She flung the door open and urged Harry inside.

Draco hesitated outside. "He might be able to track me," he murmured, "because it was my Mark."

Harry looked at Hermione, concerned. She shook her head. "I don't know. But even if he can, he can't apparate inside the Hogwarts grounds." She walked over to Alecto and waved her wand in a complex pattern before taping the woman on the head. Instantly she vanished. "Disillusionment Charm," Hermione whispered.

Draco stepped inside the room hesitantly, followed by Ron. Harry followed Lavender as she quickly stepped inside. Harry looked around in surprise; he had never seen the Room of Requirement take on a form like this before. It was large, and the walls were covered in colourful hammocks. They seemed to be organized into three groups; Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw, with a large house banner hanging over each. As Draco came into the room a new section appeared; a single hammock with the green and silver of Slytherin hanging above it. People lounged on the hammocks and milled about the empty spaces of the room.

"Hey, everyone, look who's here!" Lavender called. All eyes turned to her and a gasp rose through the room.

"It's Harry!"

"Harry Potter!"

"Harry's back!"

"I told you he'd come back!"

The crowd of students surged towards Harry. Before anyone else could reach him Neville was a this side, grinning widely. "Harry! You're all right!"

"Yeah," Harry answered. "Yeah, we all are." He gestured towards Draco, Ron and Hermione standing behind him. "Listen, we haven't got much time. You-Know-Who is on his way here, and there's something we have to do."

Neville jumped and turned as there was a noise behind them. He pulled his wand out as the door slid open.

Professor McGonagall walked through the open door, still wearing her tartan dressing-gown. The room went silent and Neville stared in amazement as the woman walked in.

"Professor Snape has called all students to the Great Hall," McGonagall's voice boomed into the silence. "The Order has been alerted and is on their way here through Hogsmeade. They were already assembled and waiting for news." Her eyes slid over to Harry. "I assume that that was due to you. It's good to see you Potter." She looked behind Harry. "You as well, Weasley, Granger, Malfoy."

"How did you know where we are?" Neville blurted out, sounding shocked.

McGonagall gave him a small smile. "You don't think I would allow my students to disappear without knowing where they've gone, do you? You are not the first to discover the Room of Requirement, Mr. Longbottom."

"Professor, we came here…" Harry was interrupted by the sound of something scraping. He turned and noticed a portrait above a large fireplace. As he watched it swung open and people began to emerge from it.

"Where are they coming from?" Ron asked in amazement as first his mother, then his father appeared. They seemed not to notice him as they turned and helped an elderly lady who Harry recognized as Neville's grandmother out.

"The Hog's Head pub," Neville explained. "Turns out that the bartender is Dumbledore's brother Aberforth. I'd been living in here about a day when I started to get really hungry. I guess the room doesn't do food. All of a sudden a passage appeared that led straight to the pub. Aberforth's been feeding all of us ever since."

A stream of people continued to emerge through the tunnel. After Neville's grandmother came Kingsley Shacklebolt, followed closely by Bill and Fleur Weasley. Next came Lupin and Tonks, who was clearly joking with Fred and George behind her. Luna emerged, followed by Dean and, surprisingly, a Gringotts goblin. Charlie Weasley and Ted Tonks followed them, chatting with a man who had the same long beard and blue eyes as Dumbledore. But it was the last person through the tunnel that Harry was most excited to see.

"Ginny!" Harry called. He saw her eyes search for him for a moment before she launched herself in his direction.

"Harry!" she called, drawing all eyes to them. A cheer went up from all those who had just emerged from the passage. The Weasleys began to push their way towards Ron.

"Wait!" Harry held up his hands. "We don't have time. You-Know-Who is on his way here with an army of Death Eaters right now." A gasp rose around the room.

"We came here to find something," Harry called. "To finish a task Dumbledore left for us. But it's going to take time."

McGonagall stepped forward. "We can give you time," she declared, "while we defend the castle." A shout of agreement rose up at her words.

"What are you looking for?" Luna's voice cut into the din. "Maybe we can help you."

Harry hesitated. "Well," he glanced at Hermione, who gave him an encouraging nod. "We're not quite sure. It'll be something small, and it probably belonged to Ravenclaw."

Blank faces stared at Harry. "Is that all you've got to go on?" Seamus called. "That's nothing."

Harry nodded. "I know, but it's all we've got. And it's incredibly important." He unconsciously raised his hand to his head as his scar began to ache again.

At this movement McGonagall stirred into action. "Everyone with a robe to the Great Hall," she commanded. "We'll need help with defenses and evacuation. If anyone has an extra robe you will share with the younger members of the Order." She lowered her voice and turned to Harry. "The four of you may wish to join us with the Order. I'm sure there are many students who would be pleased to see you. But whatever task Dumbledore left you takes precedence. Use your time wisely."


	36. Battle Beginning

As the room emptied of students Luna hurried up to them, clutching a pile of robes tightly. "Ravenclaw's Diadem!" she said excitedly. "It could be what you're looking for. It's supposed to enhance the wisdom of the one wearing it."

"A diadem, like a tiara?" Draco asked. He lifted his hand to run it through his hair but quickly lowered it again as he caught a glimpse of the burning Mark on his arm. He tugged his sleeve down to cover it. "I remember hearing about that. It's the one she's wearing in her statue, right?" Luna nodded.

Harry glanced at Hermione and Ron. "That sounds like just the kind of thing we're looking for! Does anyone know where it is?"

Luna shook her head. "No. It's been lost for centuries. Daddy's trying to recreate it though."

Harry sighed. "Is there anything else it could be?" He looked around the group. If the last Horcrux wasn't at Hogwarts…

"I don't know about anything else,' Luna mused. "But the Grey Lady might."

"Who's the Grey Lady?" Ron asked. Hermione sighed.

"You went to this school for six years, Ron. How do you not know the name of the Ravenclaw house ghost?"

'Where can we find her?" Harry asked, turning his back on Ron and Hermione.

"I would think with the students. The ghosts usually stay close by if there's an emergency," Luna answered.

Harry glanced at Draco. "Maybe we should go with the Order then."

Draco nodded. "We're going to need people to defend the school. There'll probably be more volunteers if they see that you're here." He grabbed a robe from Luna's arms and tossed another at Harry. "Besides, I really want to see McGonagall get rid of Snape." He smirked.

Hermione cleared her throat. Harry looked at her for the first time in several minutes and noticed that her face had gone rather red. Ron's face was an even more vibrant shade of scarlet. "There's something we have to do," she declared, "Before You-Know-Who gets here." She glanced at Ron.

Draco gave them a sly grin. ""Why don't you take Luna with you? Harry and I will be fine on our own."

Hermione nodded, her face darkening even more. "Yes, Luna would be quite helpful. Will you come with us?"

Harry and Draco scurried out with the last of the students, their borrowed robes branding them as Hufflepuffs. As they stepped through the door Draco strode across the hall and kicked out at what was seemingly an empty space. He was grinning when he turned back to Harry. "Alecto was always so annoying," he declared. Harry laughed.

Outside the Great Hall the students were marching, arranged into neat rows by their houses. Harry barely had time to consider how odd it was before he felt a tug on his arm, pulling him into line with the Gryffindors. Slowly his housemates shifted around him, so that quite quickly he was in the center of the crowd. Draco was next to him on one side, and with a thrill of delight he saw that Ginny was marching next to him on the other. He smiled as they stepped through the wide doors into the Great Hall.

Harry nearly bumped into Lavender in front of him as she came to a stop suddenly. He looked up and saw that they were standing directly behind the Ravenclaws, the lines of students nearly perfectly straight despite it being nearly midnight. At the front of the hall stood Amycus Carrow, his back ramrod straight as he stared forward with a concerned expression. Snape stood just in front of him, surveying the crowd of students. Harry furtively glanced around, searching for the Grey Lady, before hanging his head to avoid being noticed.

Snape stepped forward, his eyes sweeping over the students from beneath his greasy black hair.

"I'm sure that many of you are wondering why I have summoned you here at this hour," he drawled. "In fact, the reason is twofold. Professor Alecto Carrow has disappeared." Murmuring erupted wildly through the crowd. Across from Harry one of the Hufflepuffs gave a small cheer. The sounds died quickly as Amycus pulled his wand from his sleeve, angry eyes sweeping over the students.

"However, before her disappearance, Professor Carrow informed us that Harry Potter has foolishly chosen to return to school grounds," Snape continued. His eyes rolled over the assembled students. "Anyone who has information about either of these occurrences, now is your chance to step forward." He paused. "Anyone who is found to have information and who does not provide it, student or staff," he glanced menacingly towards the Gryffindors, "Will be treated equally harshly as Potter and his friends."

There was a flurry of movement as Professor McGonagall stepped forward. "I'm afraid that Alecto is rather indisposed at the moment." She pulled her wand from her sleeve. "Some of our more resourceful students have seen to it that she will not be bothering us again this evening."

Snape opened his mouth to speak, but before he could utter a sound Amycus charged towards McGonagall.

"Tell me where she is!" He spat in her face as he reached for his own wand. "Tell me where she is or I'll kill you!"

"Crucio!" A voice rang out through the hall. All eyes turned towards the Gryffindor students as Amycus rose into the air, screaming in pain. A great cheer arose from the crowd as they saw Harry stepping forward.

"Potter! Stop that this instant!" Professor McGonagall commanded. She spun around to face Snape. "As for you-"

But her words were cut off as Snape spun, his robes swirling around him. He rose into the air and flew- actually flew- through a large window.

Harry was still staring at the Snape-shaped hole in the window when the pain hit him. His scar seared as if it were on fire, his knees buckled and he fell to the ground. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Draco clutch his left arm, his mouth open in a scream. But he couldn't hear anything, not above the cold voice echoing through the room.

"Give me Potter," the voice said with a terrible screech. "Give me Potter and I will leave the castle. Give me Potter and you will be safe. Disobey, and you will die. You have until midnight."

Amycus Carrow was whimpering on the floor of the Great Hall. Draco's mouth was open, but no sound came out. Harry's lips were pressed tight together as he held his hand to his scar. There was a rustle as someone stepped forward across from him.

"Where do we take him?" a girl's panicked voice rang out. Harry raised his head to see Pansy Parkinson pointing her wand at him.

Ginny immediately stepped in front of him. "You won't be taking him anywhere."

The doors to the Great Hall opened with a bang to reveal the Order of the Phoenix. Kingsley Shacklebolt strode up to Amycus, who was still writhing on the floor, and bound him. Pansy lowered her wand.

Professor Mcgonagall cleared her throat. "There is a battle coming," she declared. "There is no point in mincing words. The events of the next few hours will be very unpleasant, and will likely involve a good deal of bloodshed. For this reason, as Headmistress, I have made the decision to evacuate all students from school grounds."

The low buzz of murmurs filled the hall. Neville stepped forward.

"What if we want to stay and fight?"

Professor McGonagall pursed her lips. "Those of you who are of age and who wish to stay and fight may. The rest will be evacuated." She turned towards Pansy, who was still clutching her wand tightly. "Beginning with Slytherin house."

"Wait!" Draco exclaimed, holding his hand in the air. He looked at Professor McGonagall. "Let me say something first.

McGonagall nodded her head. "Very well. Be quick about it, Mr. Malfoy."

Draco gave Harry a look that was somewhere between frightened and reckless and turned towards his former housemates. He took a deep breath.

"Listen," he said, "Listen to me. I know what a lot of you are thinking. I would've thought the same a couple of years ago. I would've taken any chance I could to capture Harry and take him to the Dark Lord. But I've seen so much these past two years. Muggles aren't evil and they aren't stupid. Mudbloods can be better than people with the purest bloodlines. And I don't live in fear anymore." He jerked his left sleeve up and held his arm high in the air. "I got this because I was afraid, just like so many of you are. But you don't have to be. You can change. You can be on the right side of things."

There were several loud scoffs from the Slytherins. One boy chuckled as he stepped forward.

"You always were a coward, Draco," the boy exclaimed. He stopped a few feet away from the blond. "A coward and a traitor. The Dark Lord will kill you along with Potter."

"At least my death will mean something, Theodore," Draco said, leaning forward menacingly. For a moment the room fell silent as each of the wizards grasped their wands.

Suddenly Draco turned away, letting his hand fall to his side. "Get them out of here," he spat out, "I tried to give them a chance."

Harry grabbed Draco's arm as Professor Slughorn led the Slytherins from the Great Hall. "The Grey Lady isn't here. We have to find her."

Draco nodded, his face set firmly. "We'll go to Ravenclaw Tower."

The Entrance Hall was crowded with students making their way up the stairs and towards the Room of Requirement. They would be evacuated through the passage to Hogsmeade. Harry glanced at the crowd hurrying up the grand staircase and turned to the side. There was a second set of stairs hidden behind a tapestry that they could use.

Suddenly the door at the end of the hall burst open. Hermione, Ron and Luna ran out, looking quite out of breath. Behind them was a seemingly never-ending stream of house elves.

Hermione spotted Harry and raced over, Ron hot on her heels. "The house elves," she blurted, "we had to warn them. It was all Ron's idea really, back in the Room of Requirement. We came down here to-"

"To warn them," Ron interrupted. "And to make sure they were ready. A lot of them want to fight. We heard the voice Harry. What are you going to do?"

"We have to find the last Horcrux," Harry said. "It's here somewhere, I'm sure of it. Professor McGonagall is organizing the Order and the older students to fight. Snape's gone, and the order has Amycus."

"We don't have much time," Draco growled impatiently. "This way.". He pulled aside the tapestry and raced up the stairs, Harry and the others hot on his heels. They ran up flight after flight of stairs until they reached the door to Ravenclaw Tower, panting and exhausted. Draco knocked once and the eagle's beak opened.

"Many have heard me, but no one has seen me; and I will not speak back until spoken to."

Harry stared at the door. He had never been good at riddles. Hermione puffed up beside him, a confused look on her face.

"Until spoken to," Draco muttered. "An echo!" The door swung slowly open and they pushed through.

Draco cast his eyes around the common room. "I don't think she's here," he mused. "Maybe-"

Ron interrupted him. "You said her statue's wearing the diadem, right?"

"That's it there," Draco acknowledged with a distracted wave of his hand. Ron moved around to the front of the statue and made a face.

"Looks awful," he remarked. "You'd think something like that wouldn't look so gaudy."  
Harry walked around the statue to join Ron. He inhaled sharply as he caught sight of the diadem.

"I've seen that before!" Harry exclaimed. "In the Room of Requirement, when I hid my potions textbook last year. I used that to mark its place!"


	37. The Lost Diadem

They reached the Room of Requirement in record time. The last few students, all Gryffindors, were trickling in, clearly hanging back in the hope that they would be allowed to join in the fight. They cheered as they saw that Harry was following them in.

Harry glanced around the room. A few members of the Order were supervising the evacuation, including, unexpectedly, Percy Weasley, who was deep in conversation with his father. Ron hurried over to his brother, clearly excited to see him. There were less than a dozen students left to evacuate.

"As soon as everyone gets through the tunnel we need to empty this room," Harry announced. "We need to use it for something else."

Mr. Weasley looked at him, tears streaking down his face. "Of course Harry. We'll get everyone through as quickly as we can." He began to shoo students through the passage. A minute later he turned, dragging Percy along with him, and left the room. The other Order members followed, leaving Harry, Draco, Ron and Hermione alone. They quickly ran through the door and began to pace outside.

As Harry passed the empty wall for the third time a new door materialised. He flung it open and stepped inside, relieved to see a room packed full of hundreds of years worth of junk.

"It's on top of a cabinet," he explained. "There'll be a bust, and the tiara is on the head of the bust. If you see it, stab it."  
The others fanned out across the room as Harry did his best to remember the path he had taken a year before. He followed the twists and turns of the piles, anxious to find anything that he remembered.

"Harry!" Hermione's voice called out nearby. "Harry, can you hear me? I think I found it!"

Harry practically flew in the direction of Hermione's voice. He slowed down as he neared her, and realized with a thrill of excitement that she was standing in front of a familiar cupboard.

"Is this it?" Hermione asked, holding out the gaudy tiara. Harry nodded. "Here, you destroy it." Her hands were shaking as she held it out.

"No," Harry said slowly. "No, I think you should." He looked into Hermione's eyes. "It just seems right."

Hermione pursed her lips and reached into her pocket. She pulled out the fang she had taken from the Basilisk and took a deep breath.

There was a loud bang behind them. Harry turned and stared at a pile of old desks. Ron burst around the corner, panting with a flushed face.

"Crabbe and Goyle!" he exclaimed. "They followed us!"

Harry looked back at Hermione just in time to see her plunge the fang into the diadem. Blood burst out from it as a scream filled the room.

"Don't you idiot!" Draco's voice came from behind the desks. "You'll kill us all!"

Harry dashed towards the sound, Ron and Hermione following close behind. Hermione gasped as she saw the fire issuing from Crabbe's wand.

"Is that-" she started.

"Fiendfyre!" Draco exclaimed, terror making his voice crack. He backed slowly away from Crabbe, who was grinning fiendishly as he brandished his wand. Goyle smiled smugly.

"The Dark Lord will reward us for destroying you,' Crabbe chuckled as flames continued to issue from his wand, snaking around the room. "We'll be his prize generals. And you-" he sneered at Draco, "will be nothing but a disgrace to your family. You lost your chance at greatness Malfoy."

Suddenly the flames springing from Crabbe's wand came to life. They roared out, shapes forming in them as they spread around the room. Harry felt someone grab his hand. "Run!"

Before Crabbe and Goyle could react Harry turned and ran, following Draco as he wound his way through the piles of discarded items. Hermione and Ron were next to them, panicked expressions spreading across both of their faces. The fire seemed to have spreadin a mere moment to every corner of the room. They couldn't find the exit. The flames rose around them.

Suddenly the fire flared up in front of Draco. Harry reached out and caught his shirt, jerking him back from the scorching flames. They tumbled into a heap in the center of a circle of living fire.

"Here!" Ron exclaimed. He had found a pile of old brooms. He tossed two towards Harry and Draco and grasped one himself. Hermione quickly scrambled on behind him.

"Which way is the door?" Harry shouted over the roar of the fire.

Ron pointed in the direction he was facing. "I think it's that way!" Harry nodded and mounted his broom. He kicked off of the floor, Draco mirroring his actions on one side and Ron and Hermione on the other. They rose into the air, hoping that they would be able to get above the flames.

A scream, a primal, desperate sound, came from behind them. Harry twisted around as his broom rose up and saw Goyle, alone, crouching at the top of the pile of desks. His hands were lifted to shield his face from the heat; he appeared to have lost his wand.

Harry was still staring at Goyle when he saw a broom zoom towards the trapped boy. He watched in astonishment as Draco sped away, darting around the flames. He quickly turned his own broom around to follow, shouting at Ron to get himself and Hermione out.

As Harry approached he saw Draco reach down to grab Goyle. Their hands met, but Goyle's quickly slipped out of Draco's grasp. Draco circled around again, the flames licking at his broom. Harry saw the determined expression on his face as he reached for Goyle again.

This time Draco's grasp was strong, and he managed to pull Goyle up where he settled clumsily onto the broom. Both brooms turned quickly and sped away, towards where they hoped the door was.

Just as Harry thought he would choke from the smoke surrounding him he saw a small patch of white light. He aimed his broom towards it and flew quickly through the door and into the seventh floor hall. He tumbled from the broom and landed in a heap on top of...something invisible. With a shock he realized that it was Alecto Carrow, still petrified and disillusioned. A moment later he heard a thud as Draco and Goyle crashed into the wall next to him, and a bang as someone swung the door shut.

Harry sat up shakily and moved away from Alecto. He glanced to where Draco was untangling himself from Goyle, who appeared to be unconscious. Hermione and Ron were standing next to them, staring in shock.

"You saved him!" Ron exclaimed.

Draco stood up and rubbed his hand across his soot-blackened face. "Your Gryffindor stupidity is wearing off on me." A hint of a smirk played across his face.

Hermione leapt forward and wrapped Draco in an embrace. "You're a good person, Draco Malfoy."

Draco's cheeks flushed pink as he leaned into the embrace. Harry walked over and clapped him on the back. "She's right you know." He smiled widely. "The Draco we knew two years ago would have just run away to save himself."

"What about the Diadem?" Ron interrupted.

Hermione pulled away from Draco and took Ron's hand. "I destroyed it, before Crabbe started the fire."

"That's all of them then!" Ron exclaimed. "It's just the snake left!" Harry smiled widely.


	38. The Shrieking Shack

Harry's smile died as a shout echoed through the corridor. It was followed by grunts and yells; the unmistakeable sounds of fighting. He glanced down at his watch. Nearly two hours had passed since Voldemort's voice had echoed through the school. The battle had begun.

People appeared around the corner; Fred and Percy battling two masked and hooded Death Eaters. Harry ran forward to help as Percy landed a curse on his assailant. The second man buckled beneath dual jinxes from Fred, turning a sickly green colour as he fell to the floor.

The mask slipped off of Percy's attacker. Harry realized who the man was as Percy's chuckle rang through the corridor. "Hello Minister!" he exclaimed as he landed a second curse on Thicknesse. "I suppose this is a good time to tell you that I'm resigning!"

Fred turned to Percy, his mouth open in shock. "You're joking!" he exclaimed. "You're actually joking! I-" But Fred was cut off as he fell to the side.

There was a rumble. The walls shook. Harry barely heard a scream from behind before the world exploded and he was tossed back by an unseen force. Screams and shouts echoed around him as a jet of light flew past towards the center of the explosion.

Harry felt the pain before he opened his eyes. It throbbed across his chest and down his arms. He forced his eyes to open, to focus, to see what had happened.

The wall of the castle had been blown apart entirely, right where Fred and Percy had been standing. Harry watched, unable to make himself move, as Ron rushed towards his brothers, mouth open wide. Harry became aware of a ringing in his ears as Ron's voice slowly faded in.

"Fred! Percy!" Ron was screaming. "No! No, you can't be- FRED!"

Harry pulled himself to his feet, ignoring the the blood pouring from his left arm. He took a tentative step towards Ron before falling over.

"Harry!" Suddenly Draco was beside him. He murmured something and the bleeding stopped. A second spell stopped the throbbing in his chest. Harry looked towards the Weasleys again as Draco helped him to his feet.

To his relief Harry saw three red-headed men standing together, Percy and Ron helping to support Fred's weight. He had clearly been hit the worst, but seemed to have avoided any permanent damage. Hermione was standing next to him, looking him over for injury.

Draco kept a tight hold on Harry as he walked towards the group, holding him upright as he stumbled forward.

"Are you okay?" Harry asked as he reached them. "The explosion-"

"It missed us," Percy answered. "At least mostly." He looked at Draco. "Did you shoot the reductor curse?" Draco nodded.

"You saved my life," Fred said. "Half the wall would've fallen on me if you hadn't blasted it."

A noise from behind cut off Draco's answer. Harry turned just in time to see a shimmer of movement dash around the corner and out of sight.

"Alecto!" Hermione gasped. "She heard about the Diadem!"

Harry's eyes grew large as he took in Hermione's words. A second later his feet were pounding down the hallway in pursuit. But as he rounded the corner, he knew that it was hopeless. There was no way to know where she had gone.

Suddenly there were people next to him; Hermione, Ron and Draco had run after him. Ron was shaking and pale. "Spiders," he exclaimed, pointing behind them. Harry peeked around the corner and saw Percy and Fred, joined now by Lupin and Ted Tonks, fighting several large spiders who had climbed through the gap in the wall.

"This way," Hermione said, pulling aside a tapestry. The others followed her inside onto a narrow staircase.

"It's just the snake left," Draco panted. Soot from the fire had mixed into his hair to turn it nearly black. "Alecto's going to tell Him what she heard. He'll know that we're looking for Horcruxes."

Harry nodded. "We have to find him, now." He closed his eyes and let the ever-present pain from his scar overtake him.

* * *

Harry's eyes flew open. "He's in the shrieking shack!" he exclaimed. "Alecto just got there. He's got the snake with him, and he's asking for Snape. There's something about the Elder wand, he's not happy with it.

"Give me the cloak," Ron said. "I'll go and-"

"No, I'll go," Hermione interrupted. "I can-"

"No," Harry said. "It has to be me. I'll go, and I'll kill the snake. Then-"

"Wait," Draco interrupted. "Stop for a second and think. It doesn't make sense for anyone to go alone." He shook his head. "It doesn't really make sense to go at all, but I can't think of any other way. We have to go together."

"How?" Ron asked. "We don't all fit under the Invisibility Cloak."

Harry shrugged. "It won't cover our legs, but I doubt anyone will notice. We'll put it on when we get close."

Together they dashed down the stairs and into the thick of the battle. Curses were flying everywhere as they made their way across a hallway to another set of stairs. Suddenly Harry stopped, forcing Ron to run into his back. Neville raced past them, a potted plant grasped firmly in his hands. Luna was close behind, as well as Professor Sprout. They ran into a cluster of Death Eaters and began throwing the plants, pots and all, towards their targets. Harry felt a surge of pride as the Death Eaters fell to the floor, writhing in pain from the touch of the plants.

"Harry, watch out!" Hermione called. Harry turned just in time to see a Death Eater barrelling towards him, wand drawn. Before he could react the man had fallen at his feet, unconscious. Harry looked past the fallen body to see Tonks smiling at him.

"Wotcher Harry!" she greeted. "Keep an eye out, they're everywhere!" With a small wave she turned and ran off.

Harry stepped over the body of the fallen Death Eater and wrenched open the door to a staircase. He hurried down, his friends close behind.

The next floor was a sea of dust and debris. The wall here had also been blasted in, leaving rubble lying everywhere. Harry carefully picked his way across, cringing as he saw the bodies lying in the remnants of the hallway. He recognized Colin Creevey, blood trickling from his mouth as his eyes stared into nothingness.

They emerged from the destroyed hallway onto a balcony overlooking the Entrance Hall. The battle raged on beneath them. Lavender and Parvati were fighting a Death Eater near the door. Kingsley was backed into a corner by three others, and Neville's grandmother was using an umbrella to bat aside a man who was looming ominously over the twitching body of a Ravenclaw girl. Harry was already halfway down the stairs when he heard his voice over the din.

"Harry Potter!" a squeaky voice called out. Harry turned wildly around, searching for the source of the sound.

"Dobby!" he shouted, recognizing the elf. "Dobby, you're okay!"

Dobby faced Harry with a smile plastered across his small face. "The house elves must help Hogwarts!" he exclaimed. "They must help Harry Potter!" Behind hm a line of house elves was darting into the battle.

Harry smiled, happy to see that the elf was unharmed. He took a step forward..

A bolt of light flew past Harry's left shoulder. It spun in a wide arc, and time seemed to freeze. It slammed into the elf's chest, pushing him backwards. The smile vanished from his face as he toppled to the floor.

"No!" Harry voice echoed in his ears. "No, Dobby! Dobby!" He turned to see the attacker. A woman in a mask was quickly retreating through a door. He fired a curse towards her before turning to run to the house elf.

"Dobby!" Harry screamed as he cradled the small body in his arms. "Dobby, don't go!"

"Harry!" someone said sharply. "Harry, it's too late. We have to keep going." He didn't move.

Harry was pulled to his feet. "It's not safe here! We have to keep going!"

Harry lifted his glasses to wipe the tears from his eyes before he turned to face Ron. His face was empty. He glanced down at Dobby. "This has to end."

* * *

Outside of the castle walls Harry threw the Invisibility cloak over all four of them. It was cramped and difficult to walk, and their feet were exposed, but it protected them from unwelcome notice as they made their way to the Whomping Willow. Hermione levitated a stick to press the knot that would make it stop thrashing and they piled together into the dark passage.

The end of the passage was blocked by a crate. By lying flat on the ground Harry could make out a small sliver of the room beyond. Draco came up next to him as the voices started.

"Severus," Voldemort's voice came out as a hiss. "It is good of you to join me."  
"My Lord." Harry could see the edge of Snape' face as he bowed. "The battle is going well. If you would allow it I could seek out Potter himself and bring him-"

"Enough," Voldemort declared. There was a swish as he stood from his chair. " I have recently had some interesting information from Alecto. It seems that Potter may have more information than expected."  
"My Lord?"

Tell me, what did Dumbledore know of my survival?"

Snape's voice seemed less certain than usual. "I'm afraid I don't know my Lord."

Voldemort paused for a moment, seemingly debating his next words. "Did he have a ring? A golden ring, with a large black stone."

Harry saw Snape shake his head. "No my Lord. I have never seen such a thing."

"Then perhaps it is nothing."

"My Lord," Snape began again, "The battle is still being fought. Would it not be a more prudent use of time-"

"I'm afraid not," Voldemort replied carelessly. He twirled his wand. "I'm afraid that I have a problem, Severus."

Harry could see Snape's leg twitch. "A problem, my Lord?"

"Yes. I'm afraid that this wand is not working properly for me."

"My Lord, you have done incredible magic with that wand."

"That is indeed the problem. I have done incredible magic, yes, but no more than usual. This wand should add to my power. Instead I find it no different than any other."

Harry shrank back as Voldemort walked past the crate he was hiding behind. "The reason, I think, is clear." He stood still directly in front of Snape. "It is still loyal to the one who killed it's previous owner."

Harry could hear the tears in Snape's voice. 'My Lord, let me fight. Let me continue to serve you."

"Begging does not behoove you, Severus," the snakelike voice answered dully. Voldemort turned away from Snape. "Nagini." The snake slithered to his side. "Kill."

Harry watched, horrified, as the snake attacked Snape. It bit him in the throat, and the chest, and again on his arm. It struck over and over again, drawing blood with each bite as Snape's screams echoed through the small room. Finally, with a rustle of his cloak, Voldemort vanished, taking the snake with him.

Draco pushed aside the crate and crawled into the room before Harry could move. In an instant he was sitting at Snape's side. A moment later Harry joined him, followed by Ron and Hermione.

There was something leaking from Snape, something besides blood. Harry watched as Draco collected the silvery substance, storing it in a vial that he had conjured. Snape's eyes landed on Harry as he moved closer.

Look- look at me," he said weakly. Harry gazed into his eyes, watching as the last of the light left them.

Voldemort's voice echoed again across the school grounds.

"The battle is nearly over. We will be victorious. I give you now one hour. Collect your dead. Tend to your wounded.'

'Harry Potter. Come to the Forbidden Forest within one hour or the fighting will resume. Do not hide behind others any longer. I am waiting."


	39. Memory of a Prince

Harry wandered into the Great Hall in a daze. There were rows of bodies, the life gone from their pale faces. Still more were lying on makeshift cots, people gathered around them in an attempt to heal their injuries. Harry saw a cluster of red hair and raced towards the Weasleys.

Ted Tonks lay on the floor, dead. Colin Creevey was there too, and Dobby. Lavender Brown was in the next row, a peaceful expression spread across her face. He glanced across the room and saw Lupin, lying on a cot, his face drained of colour as Professor McGonagall hovered over spiked through him and he rushed from the room.

"Harry," Draco's voice called out as he neared the door. "Wait."

Harry paused, his hand resting on the door that would lead him outside. "I have to go," he whispered as Draco drew level with him. "I can't let more people die for me."

"You have an hour." Draco held up the vial he had collected from Snape. "He wanted you to see this. Begged me to show it to you before you got there. I think you should do that first."

Harry backed away from the door slowly. "Let's watch it then." He looked at Draco. "Together."

* * *

Despite all of the destruction the Headmaster's office had remained unscathed. Harry quickly retrieved the Pensieve from its cupboard and unceremoniously dumped Snape's memories into it. He took a deep breath and submerged his head.

Images flew past Harry and Draco, short snippets of memories that spanned years of Snape's life. They saw Snape with Harry's mother as children, and again as they grew up. It quickly became clear that he had cared very deeply for Lily Evans. The memories disappeared, only to be replaced by Snape standing in Dumbledore's office, crying.

Harry watched in amazement as Snape begged Dumbledore to save his mother, as he returned, sobbing, when she died. His mouth fell open as he saw Snape cast a Patronus; a Doe, to match Lily's. He had never stopped loving her.

Then the memory changed again. It shifted and solidified into Snape, grasping Dumbledore's blackened hand. "You shouldn't have tried to use it," Snape admonished. "It's been enchanted with dark magic."

Dumbledore seemed unphased. "Can you stop the spreading?"

"Only slow it. It will continue, and it will kill you."

"How much time do I have left?"

Snape sighed and dropped the hand. "A year, at the most." He paced across the office.

Dumbledore shook his sleeve down over his hand and stood up. "I have to say that your timing is impeccable, had you not been here I am certain that my demise would come much sooner. But, as grateful as I am, I have to ask. Why did you come here today Severus?"

Snape spent nearly a minute tucking his wand inside his robe before answering. "It is planned for tomorrow," he said quietly. "Draco seems enthusiastic about receiving the Mark, but I believe that he is not being entirely truthful." He sighed. "I'm afraid that there is nothing I can do."

Dumbledore nodded slowly. "I see two courses of action," he began. "Either Draco will take the Mark and be given a task to complete. This task will be to kill me, will it not?" Snape nodded and Dumbledore continued. "The other option is of course that he will take his fate into his own hands and will choose to leave. In which case, I assume that it will fall to you to bring about my demise." Snape nodded again.

"Then the path before us is clear," Dumbledore announced. Snape looked at him as if he had lost his mind.

"How so?"  
"Regardless of which path Mr. Malfoy chooses, you must be the one to kill me."

Snape sneered. "And if I do not wish to?"

Dumbledore's voice took on an uncharacteristically serious tone. "You must. If Draco accepts the task set before him, you must kill me so that he does not have to. He is so young Severus. We cannot allow such damage to be done to his soul."  
"And what of my soul?" Snape asked.

"Severus," Dumbledore looked directly at him. "Promise me that you will be the one to kill me."

As Snape opened his mouth to respond the scene shifted again. Suddenly they were on top of the Astronomy tower. Snape was grasping Draco's arm and staring at Dumbledore.

With a shock Harry realized that he could see his own shoes- in his haste to cover himself with the Invisibility Cloak he had put it on lopsided, leaving the bottom of his feet exposed.

Snape moved his eyes away from Dumbledore just for a moment, just long enough to notice the disembodied trainers. As Harry watched he saw something near a smile cross Snape's face, just for a moment, as he shoved Draco purposefully towards Harry's petrified body. He muttered the curse that killed Dumbledore and then… paused. As if he was waiting for Draco to make his move.

The memory shifted a final time, to reveal one last conversation between Dumbledore and Snape. As it ended Harry felt himself rising out of the Pensive, Draco next to him. Together they found themselves back in the office, dumbfounded by all that they had seen.

"That's how he got to me so quickly," Draco muttered. " He knew I would become a Death Eater that day. He was waiting for my letter."

"I'm the last Horcrux," Harry whispered. "I have to die."

Draco looked at Harry, tears in his eyes, and nodded. "It's the only way."

Harry ran his hand through his hair. His thumb brushed against his scar and he thought of his parents. And Sirius. And all the others he had loved and lost. The thought of them made death seem less frigthening.

"Promise me you'll keep fighting," Harry said. "And that after it's all over, you'll look after yourself. None of this was your fault."

Draco nodded. "I'll kill him Harry. You know I will. If it's the last thing I do, I'll stop V- Voldemort."

"The wand," Harry said suddenly. "It's loyal to you. It was loyal to Snape when he killed Dumbledore, but then you disarmed him." His eyes grew wide and he looked at Draco in panic. "But Greyback-"

Draco shook his head. "Greyback didn't take my wand. I dropped it. He just picked it up." He looked at Harry in wonder. "That's why Snape pushed me towards you, isn't it? He knew about the Elder Wand and he wanted me to have it."

"I think so." Harry sighed and glanced at his watch. "Listen, the hour is almost over. I have to go, before anyone else gets hurt for me." He looked into Draco's eyes. Can you- can you say goodbye to Ron and Hermione for me?"

Draco nodded. "Harry-" he paused and cleared his throat. "Thank you for being my friend. For years I was a complete ass and you were still willing to give me a chance. I wouldn't have made it this far without you."

Harry felt tears dripping from his eyes as Draco reached forward to hug him. They stood together for a moment, both too afraid of the future to let go, before Harry pulled away.

"I have to go. Kill him, Draco."

* * *

 **Well here we are, with just one chapter left! I plan to post it on Friday. Th** **ank you so much to everyone who has been reading and enjoying this story, you have been so encouraging to me.**

 **-DollhouseDancer**


	40. The End of it All

The walk into the forest had felt like years. Harry had passed Neville, searching through the rubble for bodies. "Kill the snake," he had whispered, "It's the only way he can die." Neville had nodded, seeming to understand.

When he reached the forest Harry had remembered the Golden Snitch that Dumbledore had bequeathed to him so long before. He had pressed it to his lips, and it had opened to reveal the black resurrection stone. He held it and saw his parents, and everyone he loved. They spoke to him before he continued on, promised to be with him.

Then had come the confrontation. He had boldly marched up to Voldemort. And Voldemort had killed him. Except somehow, as impossible as it was, he hadn't died. Instead he had seen Dumbledore, and a sort of imitation of King's Cross Station. But he had made his choice, and had returned to fight.

Now a body was leaning down over him, checking, at Voldemort's order, to see if he was truly dead. As soon as the smooth hand touched his chest he knew that his beating heart had given him away. But instead of proclaiming his life, the person above him asked a question.

"Is Draco alive?"

Harry recognized Narcissa's voice even though it was barely a whisper. He parted his lips the tiniest fraction. "Yes," he breathed out.

"All I want is my son," Narcissa muttered. Her hand left Harry's chest as she straightened. "Dead, my Lord," she declared.

Harry remained still as he heard the whoop of victory. He didn't move as Hagrid lumbered forward to lift him, and didn't move as he was carried out of the Forbidden Forest. He must not give himself away, not yet.

And then they were in front of the castle. Harry heard a scream. People were yelling his name. He cracked his eyes open the tiniest bit and saw Ginny, struggling against her brothers as she tried to run to him. Tears were pouring down Ron's face, and Hermione's too.

"Harry Potter is dead," Voldemort's voice boomed out across the expanse. "He was killed trying to run away, to save himself."

A figure stepped forward, streaks of black soot streaked through his blond hair. "You're lying. Harry went to you willingly."

"Ah, Draco," Voldemort hissed ominously. "So good to see you again. He turned to the Death Eaters lined up behind him. "I'm sure you remember the Malfoy's blood traitor of a son." Boos and hisses rose from the crowd as Lucius took a stumbling step forward.

"My Lord-"

But Lucius was interrupted by a bang. Voldemort swivelled around just in time to deflect the curse levelled at him.

"Now, who is this?" he asked menacingly as he eyed the second boy who had stepped forward next to Draco. There was a cackle from his side.

"That's the Longbottom boy!" Bellatrix exclaimed. "How are your dear parents?"

Neville snarled. Through the small gap between his eyelids Harry could see that there was something balled up in his hand. "You think you've won," he started. "But you're wrong. We'll keep fighting, every last one of us. That's what Harry would want. And it's what we all signed up for. You can't win." A cheer rose from the crowd of students and teachers.

"Silence!" Voldemort shouted with a wave of his wand. The sound stopped immediately. "You will all die, and I will be victorious!" He levelled his wand at the two boys standing in front of him. "Now which shall I kill first, the annoyance, or the traitor?"  
There was a flurry of movement as several things happened at once. Lucius launched himself forward, between Voldemort and Draco. Narcissa threw herself sideways, crashing into Voldemort and causing him to stumble sideways. The silencing spell broke at that moment, and there was a great roar as the students charged forward.

But all momentum stopped, just for a moment, as Harry seized the opportunity and threw himself from Hagrid's arms. He rolled away quickly to the sounds of cheers and shouts. Voldemort let out a great roar as he recovered from Narcissa's assault and aimed his wand at Harry.

And then, Neville was holding a sword. He cast aside the thing he had been holding, which Harry now recognized as the Sorting Hat. In the brief moment of distraction he raised the sword, and, with a mighty shout, swung it down, not onto Voldemort himself, but onto the snake coiled at his side. With a burst of blood the snake fell to the ground, dead.

And then they arrived: the Centaurs from the Forbidden Forest; Thestrals and Hippogriffs and all manner of other magical creatures; Grawp, Hagrid's giant brother; dozens of witches and wizards who burst through the gate. It seemed that every family member, every person who lived in Hogsmeade, and a great deal more had all returned suddenly to help in the fight. Harry threw the Invisibility Cloak over himself as the crowd of fighters was forced back towards the school.

Harry darted in and out of the crowd. He threw up shield charms and blocked curses as he searched for Voldemort. Finally he saw him, slipping through the door into the Entrance Hall. Harry followed as the crowd surged into the school.

Inside the chaos continued. Curses flew everywhere. Harry ducked as a jet of red light shot past him. He squirmed through the crowd to the Great Hall, hoping that Voldemort would be inside.

The inside of the Great Hall was complete chaos. House elves were running about, hitting Death Eaters with frying pans and cutting at them with cleavers, Kreacher fighting in the midst of them. Wounded witches and wizards were shooting spells from their cots, defended fiercely by Madam Pomfrey. Ghosts were flying wildly about, shepherded by Peeves, who was throwing all manner of rubbish at anyone in a cloak and mask.

Harry's breath hitched. Across the hall Draco and Ginny were backed into a corner, desperately deflecting attacks from Bellatrix. He dashed towards them, but found his way blocked by a stampede of centaurs.

A green light flew towards Ginny. Draco tackled her to the floor, narrowly avoiding the killing curse. Bellatrix cackled.

"YOU BITCH!"

Molly Weasley's voice rang across the hall, drowning out the sound of battle. Everything stopped as she sprinted towards Bellatrix.

"DON'T TOUCH MY CHILDREN!" Molly exclaimed as she hurtled forward. Harry watched as her curse flew towards Bellatrix, forcing her to turn away from Draco and Ginny.

Tonks leapt forward but stopped still at Molly's outstretched hand. "No, she's mine!" She deflected Bellatrix's curse and retaliated with one of her own as Draco and Ginny crawled away to safety.

The two women fought fiercely, the sounds of their struggle echoing around the room. Curse after curse struck out, only to be deflected or absorbed by the other.

And then it was over. Molly's curse flew under Bellatrix's outstretched arm, hitting her squarely in the chest. For a moment her eyes went wide, then she fell to the floor, dead.

There was a scream and Harry turned towards the door. Voldemort had just entered, his face painted with rage. He aimed his wand towards Molly.

"Protego!" Harry screamed. The force of his shield charm knocked Molly off her feet as the curse bounced harmlessly off of it. Harry pulled off his cloak, revealing himself at last.

"Potter," Voldemort hissed. "Finally tired of using your friends as shields?"

"It's just you and me," Harry responded calmly. He raised his voice. "Just us. I don't want anyone else to help. It has to be like this."

"Your mother's blood won't save you this time."

"It doesn't have to,' Harry answered. He circled around Voldemort as everyone else backed up against the walls. "Because you're done. There are no more Horcruxes."

Voldemort's eyes went wide at this. For a moment he stared, caught off his guard, before snickering. "I'm more crafty than either you or that fool Dumbledore realize, Potter," he hissed softly. "Did you think I would be so stupid as to hide my soul in only one place?"

"Of course not," Harry answered nonchalantly. "You hid it in seven places. One with the Malfoys, one with Bellatrix, one at your mother's house, one in a cave, one here, and of course, one in Nagini. That's why I told Neville to kill her." He paused. "Oh, and there was one in me too. You killed that one yourself earlier tonight."

Rage swept across Voldemort's face. "You insolent boy!" He shot a curse into the air.

"The wand still isn't working for you," Harry whispered. His green eyes met Voldemort's seething red. "You killed the wrong man."

"Snape defeated Dumbledore! The wand was his!"

Harry shook his head. "Snape never defeated Dumbledore. His death was planned, months in advance, between them."

"I took the wand from his dead body. It is mine!" Rage seeped out of Voldemort.

Harry shook his head again. "Do you know what wand Snape used to kill Dumbledore?" Voldemort didn't answer, so Harry continued. "By the time he reached the Death Eaters outside of the castle he only had his own. But that isn't the wand that he used to accomplish the deed."

"There were more people on that tower than you realize. I was there, hidden. And there was one other." Harry swept his hand across the room. "And after Snape killed Dumbledore, he waited, just for a moment, for that one other person to disarm him. That person is the true master of the Elder Wand."

Voldemort looked as if his eyes would burst from his head. He shook with rage as he levelled his wand at Harry. "And who is this person?"

"Me." The attention of the room shifted as Draco stepped out of the crowd.

Voldemort looked as if he would explode, his rage was so strong. He forced a chuckle from his lips. "The blood traitor. I should have known. It is of no consequence." He swept his wand around and sent a jet of green light flying towards Draco. Draco easily deflected it towards the ceiling.

"You can't hurt them!" Harry exclaimed. Voldemort turned back to him. "They're protected, all of them. I went to you willingly, intending to die. Your spells won't work against any of the people here."

It was these words that spurred Voldemort into action. He began to fire curse after curse towards Harry. Harry threw up a shield charm and threw his own curse back.

"You've already lost," Harry grunted. "This is your last chance, to try… for remorse."

Voldemort paused for a moment, his face contorted in rage, his wand pointed directly at Harry's heart. His eyes shone red as he opened his mouth.

" _Avada kedavra!"_

" _Expelliarmus!"_

Two red lights darted towards Voldemort. From the corner of his eye Harry could see Draco standing next to him, his wand levelled towards the wizard and his eyes narrowed. The light of Harry's spell collided with Voldemort's.

For a moment the world slowed to a halt, as Draco's spell soared straight into Voldemort's chest and the light of a green spell, cast by the dark wizard himself, rebounded back. The Elder Wand soared out of Voldemort's hand a moment before the green light struck him between his eyes. He swayed for a moment, his eyes wide with shock, before falling down, down, to the ground. Draco caught the wand deftly as Voldemort twitched once, then lay still.

As time had slowed, it now accelerated. Harry felt numb as he was whisked around the Hall, congratulated and hailed as a hero. He found himself consoling those who had lost loved ones, helping to move the bodies, hearing the news, all while the sun rose into the sky.

Finally, he found himself sitting alone, exhausted and numb. He suppressed his urge to shudder as he heard someone sit beside him.

"Use your cloak." Harry looked up as he recognized Luna's voice. "I'll make a distraction so you can get away."

He smiled gratefully and pulled the cloak from his pocket. "Thanks, Luna."

Harry wandered through the hall, looking for the few people he actually wanted to be around. He spotted Ron and Hermione sitting with the Weasley family. A lump rose in his throat as he spotted Ginny sitting with them. But she could wait. He brushed past Ron. "Meet me in the Entrance Hall."

Draco was sitting at one of the long house tables, staring awkwardly across at his parents. He seemed relieved to hear Harry's voice from behind him, and immediately stood to follow him out, clutching the Elder Wand tightly.

In the Entrance Hall Harry pulled off the cloak. Wearily he embraced Ron and Hermione. "I'm so sorry," he said, "for not saying goodbye. I just couldn't."

Hermione nodded in understanding. "Draco told us what you saw." She glanced at Ron. "We understand."

"We're just glad you're okay," Ron agreed as the group began to move towards the stairs.

Harry sighed, thinking of the bodies lying in the hall below. "I'm not okay," he admitted. "Not really. And I don't think I will be for a long time."

He paused before turning a corner and glanced at Draco. "What about your parents?"

Draco shook his head. "I don't know. They- I just don't know. How can I go back to them after everything they did? But…" a tear fell from his eye, "How can I not after they saved me?"

Hermione took each of their hands in hers, and smiled softly as Ron placed his on her shoulder. "None of us will be okay, not for a long time. But together, together we can get better. None of us has to do this alone."

* * *

 **19 Years Later**

Harry rushed to keep up with his son as he careened towards the platform. September had come quickly that year, and Albus was ecstatic to be starting his first year at Hogwarts.

"Al!" Harry exclaimed, finally catching up to him. He grabbed the back of his son's shirt to keep him from crashing into a woman with packages piled high in her arms. "Slow down!"

Albus looked up, a smirk across his face as his green eyes glimmered. "But dad, Uncle Draco is letting Scorpius run!"

Harry glanced back to see Draco deep in conversation with his wife, Astoria, and Ginny. As he watched Draco looked up and winked at him, raising his hand to point towards his own son racing past platform 8. Harry chuckled. "That's because Draco thinks I can handle both of you." His eyes twinkled right back at Albus. "C'mon, let's stop Scorpius before he runs into a wall."

Harry finally managed to catch Scorpius right before the wall dividing platforms 9 and 10. "Oh no you don't!" Harry exclaimed as he saw the twinkle in the blond boy's eye. "You wait for your parents. They're very excited to see you off for your first year, you know!"

Scorpius huffed and leaned against the handle of his cart. "Then tell them to hurry up!" he complained. "Rose is waiting for us!"

Harry pretended not to see Albus' smirk. Most of them knew very well that Scorpius had a crush on Ron and Hermione's daughter, but after an exceptionally short debate they had decided that it would be best if Ron didn't know anything about Rose's love life. At least not until she was married.

Finally the rest of their group caught up. Ginny smiled at Harry as she pulled away from Astoria. Their daughter, Lily, was clinging to her arm, bawling.

"I want to go now!" Lily was saying. "I don't want to wait two more years!"

James, Harry's oldest son, was consoling his sister. "Don't worry, the feasts aren't that good." he said. "And living in a castle isn't THAT great. Really you're not missing much."

Lily's sobs intensified. Harry pulled James away and shooed him through the barrier. "Stop antagonizing your sister!"

Draco stepped forward next to his son. Astoria smiled and stood on his other side, her hand resting on his cart.

"Just push through the barrier," Draco whispered to Scorpius. He turned to nod at Harry briefly before the family disappeared.

Harry and Albus quickly followed, with Ginny and Lily close behind. Together the group ventured onto the platform, searching for their friends.

"Hugo!" Lily screeched. Her tears stopped immediately as she wrenched herself away from her mother's arm and barrelled towards her friend. "I knew you would be here!"

Harry smiled as Ron and Hermione came into view, their daughter Rose clutched between them. Ginny ran up to greet Hermione, smiling widely, as Albus and Scorpius wandered towards Rose.

Draco came up next to Harry. "I'm going to miss him," he said quietly. "He has no idea what a ray of light he is in our lives."

Harry placed his hand on Draco's shoulder. Astoria was sick; they all knew it. Her days were limited, and one day it would just be Scorpius and Draco. "He'll be back soon. You'll see, by Christmas it'll feel like he's barely left."

James barrelled back into the group, his cart and trunk suspiciously absent.

"Teddy's here!" he shouted. "He's with Victoire, and they're SNOGGING!"

Ginny's eyes went wide. "Victoire? That's lovely! Oh, can you imagine, if he was part of the family?" she turned towards Harry and Draco. "Then we'd all be related for real!"

Draco chuckled and nodded towards Scorpius, whose cheeks were flushed as he talked animatedly with Rose. "I think that's going to happen anyways," he muttered. Ginny giggled.

Harry glanced at his watch. "Five minutes to 11," he announced. "Onto the train, all of you!" He started shooing his children towards the train. "James, your trunk had better already be loaded."

As James ran off ahead Albus stopped and looked up. "Dad," he said slowly. Harry leaned down to listen to him. "Will you be upset if I'm not in Gryffindor?"

Harry smiled. "Of course not! With all the time you spend with Scorpius and Draco, I would be surprised if you were. You might actually be more Slytherin than either of them."

"Really?" Albus asked. Relief began to spread across his face.

"Really." Harry answered. "There's nothing wrong with being in Slytherin. In fact, if Uncle Draco hadn't been friends with me and Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron, we would've all died a dozen times over. Every Gryffindor needs a Slytherin to keep them from making stupid decisions."

Draco leaned over Harry's shoulder and chuckled. "You're right about that," he said. He looked Albus in the eye. "Don't let the other Slytherins treat you badly. They'll be lucky to have a Potter in their house."

Albus smiled widely and wrapped his arms tightly around Harry before turning and running to the train. Scorpius and Rose were waiting to help him drag his trunk on board. For a moment they disappeared. Then their faces appeared at a window, and they waved wildly as the train began to pull away.

Ron smiled as Rose's waving hand disappeared from view. "They're going to be okay." He turned to Draco. "That is, if your son stays away from my daughter." The serious expression on his face dissolved into a smile as he saw the worried looks on everyone else's faces. "I'm not that easy to fool," he chuckled. "Scorp turns red and stutters every time he's near Rose."

Harry smiled to himself. The train station, the curious glances from other parents, all faded from view. The Elder Wand had been locked away safely for 19 years. It's power would be broken forever when Draco died. The resurrection stone was lost in the depths of the Forbidden Forest. The Cloak alone remained in his family, its secret well-concealed by the small group now surrounding him.

They all had scars. Ron's arms were covered in snaking patterns from the brains in the Department of Mysteries. Hermione's arm was marked with the word Mudblood. Draco's Dark Mark had faded to an angry scar. And the lightning bolt on his own forehead would forever remind the Wizarding World of the war.

But after all of these years, as he watched the train carrying their children fade out of view, he knew that they were finally okay.

* * *

 **Well, there it is. The end of it all. If you've read through this story I would really appreciate a quick review to tell me what you thought. Whether its telling me what you loved or saying what I could do better, I appreciate them all!**

 **I want to thank everyone who has read and enjoyed this story. I love to write, but I'm extremely shy about sharing my writing. I honestly thought that maybe one or two people would read this, and the response that it has received has shocked and amazed me. I feel infinitely more confident about my ability to write now, and that's thanks to all of you readers! So thank you for all of your encouragement throughout this process!**

 **I keep finding myself having ideas for a sequel to this story. Hopefully sometime in the future it will happen, but it could be some time, as I really want to spend some time focusing on my original fiction. If I do write a sequel I will be sure to announce it here so that everyone following this story knows about it.**

 **May you read the best of stories, find yourselves inspired, and have a lovely day.**

 **Dollhouse Dancer**


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